III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 68 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the January 24, 2015, attacks 

carried out by Russian-backed rebels on the civilian population in 

Mariupol, Ukraine, and the provision of lethal and non-lethal military 

assistance to Ukraine. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 4, 2015 

Mr. JOHNSON (for himself and Mrs. SHAHEEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the January 

24, 2015, attacks carried out by Russian-backed rebels 

on the civilian population in Mariupol, Ukraine, and the 

provision of lethal and non-lethal military assistance to 

Ukraine. 

Whereas Russian-backed rebels continue to expand their campaign in Ukraine, which has already claimed more than 

5,000 lives and generated an estimated 1,500,000 refugees and internally displaced persons; 

Whereas, on January 23, 2015, Russian rebels pulled out of 

peace talks with Western leaders; 


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•SRES 68 IS 

Whereas, on January 24, 2015, the Ukrainian port city of 

Mariupol received rocket fire from territory in the 

Donetsk region controlled by rebels; 

Whereas, on January 24, 2015, Alexander Zakharchenko, 

leader of the Russian-backed rebel Donetsk People’s Republic, publicly announced that his troops had launched 

an offensive against Mariupol; 

Whereas Mariupol is strategically located on the Sea of Azov 

and is a sea link between Russian-occupied Crimea and 

Russia, and could be used to form part of a land bridge 

between Crimea and Russia; 

Whereas the indiscriminate attack on Mariupol killed 30 people, including 2 children, and wounded 102 in markets, 

homes, and schools; 

Whereas any group that fires rockets knowingly into a civilian population is committing war crimes and is in violation of international humanitarian law; 

Whereas, even after the Russian Federation and the Russianbacked rebels signed a ceasefire agreement called the 

Minsk Protocol in September 2014, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, General Philip Breedlove, reported in 

November 2014 the movement of ‘‘Russian troops, Russian artillery, Russian air defense systems, and Russian 

combat troops’’ into Ukraine; 

Whereas, on January 24, 2015, NATO Secretary General 

Jens Stoltenberg stated, ‘‘For several months we have 

seen the presence of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, 

as well as a substantial increase in Russian heavy equipment such as tanks, artillery, and advanced air defense 

systems. Russian troops in eastern Ukraine are supporting offensive operations with command and control 


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•SRES 68 IS 

systems, air defense systems with advanced surface-to-air 

missiles, unmanned aerial systems, advanced multiple 

rocket launcher systems, and electronic warfare systems.’’; 

Whereas, on January 25, 2015, after Russian-backed rebels 

attacked Mariupol, European Council President Donald 

Tusk wrote, ‘‘Once again appeasement encourages the 

aggressor to greater acts of violence; time to step up our 

policy based on cold facts, not illusions.’’; 

Whereas, on November 19, 2014, at a Committee on Foreign 

Relations of the Senate confirmation hearing, Deputy 

National Security Adviser Anthony Blinken stated that 

the provision of defensive lethal assistance to the Government of Ukraine ‘‘remains on the table. It’s something 

we’re looking at.’’; 

Whereas the Ukraine Freedom Support Act (Public Law 

113–272), which was passed by Congress unanimously 

and signed into law by the President on December 18, 

2014, states that it is the policy of the United States to 

further assist the Government of Ukraine in restoring its 

sovereignty and its territorial integrity to deter the Government of the Russian Federation from further destabilizing and invading Ukraine and other independent 

countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, 

and Central Asia; and 

Whereas the Ukraine Freedom Support Act authorizes 

$350,000,000 in fiscal years 2015–2017 for the President to provide the Government of Ukraine with defense 

articles, defense services, and military training for the 

purpose of countering offensive weapons and reestablishing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of 

Ukraine, including anti-tank and anti-armor weapons; 


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crew weapons and ammunition; counter-artillery radars; 

fire control and guidance equipment; surveillance drones; 

and secure command and communications equipment: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the attack on Mariupol by Rus3 sian-backed rebels; 

4 (2) urges the President to provide lethal and 

5 non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine as unani6 mously supported by Congress in the Ukraine Free7 dom Support Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–272); 

8 (3) calls on the United States, its European al9 lies, and the international community to continue to 

10 apply economic and other forms of pressure on the 

11 Russian Federation, especially in the form of sanc12 tions, if the Government of the Russian Federation 

13 continues to refuse to cease its aggression in 

14 Ukraine; 

15 (4) calls on the Government of the Russian 

16 Federation to immediately end its support for the 

17 rebels in eastern Ukraine, allow Ukraine to regain 

18 control of its internationally recognized borders, and 

19 withdraw its military presence in eastern Ukraine; 

20 and 

21 (5) expresses solidarity with the people of 

22 Ukraine regarding the humanitarian crisis in their 


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1 country and the destruction caused by the military, 

2 financial, and ideological support of the Government 

3 of the Russian Federation for the rebels in eastern 

4 Ukraine. 

Æ 


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