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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 547 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 547

Acknowledging the two-year anniversary of Russia's further invasion of 
       Ukraine and expressing support for the people of Ukraine.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 8 (legislative day, February 7), 2024

 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. 
  Blumenthal, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Casey, Mrs. 
  Gillibrand, Mr. Manchin, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Welch, Mr. 
  Whitehouse, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Fetterman, Ms. 
Hassan, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Smith, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. 
    Reed, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
    Sanders, Mr. Tester, and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Acknowledging the two-year anniversary of Russia's further invasion of 
       Ukraine and expressing support for the people of Ukraine.

Whereas, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale, unprovoked, and 
        illegal invasion of Ukraine, which followed Russia's illegal annexation 
        of Crimea in 2014;
Whereas the United States assessed that Russia's goal for such invasion was to 
        overthrow Ukraine's democratically-elected government and install a 
        puppet regime;
Whereas the international community recognizes the full territorial integrity of 
        Ukraine;
Whereas, since February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the people of 
        Ukraine have marshalled a determined resistance that has prevented 
        Russia from taking control of their country;
Whereas more than 8,000,000 Ukrainian refugees have been forced to flee their 
        homes as a result of Russia's further invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas, in April 2022, evidence revealed that Russian forces had committed mass 
        murder of more than 400 Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in 
        Bucha, Ukraine;
Whereas, in May 2022, Russian forces completed a siege of the Ukrainian city of 
        Mariupol, during which an estimated 25,000 Ukrainians were killed amid 
        horrific humanitarian conditions, including the destruction of health 
        and sanitary infrastructure;
Whereas evidence from cities attacked by Russian forces, including Bucha and 
        Mariupol, confirm that Russian forces have employed rape as a weapon of 
        war;
Whereas in addition to war crimes, Russia has committed genocide in Ukraine;
Whereas Russia had established filtration camps before the February 24, 2022, 
        further invasion, through which more than 1,000,000 Ukrainians, 
        including 200,000 children, have been registered, interrogated, and 
        forcibly relocated to Russia as part of a widespread Russification 
        campaign;
Whereas Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have engaged in anti-Semitic propaganda, 
        including calling for the de-Nazification of Ukraine;
Whereas almost all independent media outlets have been banned, blocked, or 
        listed as ``foreign agents'' in Russia since the February 24, 2022, 
        further invasion;
Whereas, in September 2022, Russia announced the illegal annexation of 4 
        Ukrainian regions, including the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts in the 
        Donbas region;
Whereas Ukraine has launched successful counteroffensives to push back Russian 
        forces, including in the cities of Kherson and Kharkiv;
Whereas hundreds of Russian missile attacks have intentionally targeted 
        Ukrainian critical infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, and 
        civilian population centers;
Whereas Iran has supplied Russia with drones, some of which have been used in 
        strikes against critical Ukrainian infrastructure;
Whereas Russia has used energy as a weapon of war, including by manipulating oil 
        and natural gas exports to Europe;
Whereas Russia has sought to interrupt global food supply chains by blocking 
        Ukrainian grain exports at Ukrainian ports;
Whereas global food and gas prices have risen as a direct result of Russia's 
        further invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime in Belarus has supported Russia's further invasion 
        of Ukraine and allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging 
        ground for the invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime has supported the illegal filtration of Ukrainians 
        in Belarus;
Whereas, in July 2023, Ukraine was reported to have more landmines than any 
        other country in the world, with Russian forces using at least 13 
        different types of antipersonnel mines that do not distinguish between 
        military and civilian targets;
Whereas Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Initiative on the Safe 
        Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports, done at 
        Istanbul July 22, 2022 (commonly known as the ``Black Sea Grain 
        Initiative''), which had previously enabled the export of grain from 
        Ukraine to keep global food prices stable, which has resulted in higher 
        global food prices and the blocking of Ukrainian grain exports, which is 
        a key component of Ukraine's economy;
Whereas Russia and Belarus have arrested peaceful protestors aligned with anti-
        war, pro-democracy movements in those countries that arose in response 
        to Russia's further invasion;
Whereas, on December 29, 2023, Russia launched its largest air attack against 
        Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, which killed 31 
        people;
Whereas the United States and its transatlantic allies have stood with Ukraine 
        by supplying military and humanitarian aid and levying sanctions to 
        respond to Russia's aggression and to defund Russia's war machine;
Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has played a significant 
        role in supporting Ukraine, including by bolstering NATO defenses, 
        granting Finland's accession to NATO and formally inviting Sweden to 
        join NATO;
Whereas support for Ukraine has resulted in the reinvestment of millions of 
        dollars into the United States defense industrial base, which has 
        bolstered local economies and provided good-paying jobs for American 
        families; and
Whereas Ukraine continues to resist Russia's illegal and unprovoked further 
        invasion in defense of its sovereignty and democracy: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) expresses condolences to the people of Ukraine for the 
        loss of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian people since 
        Russia's further invasion began on February 24, 2022;
            (2) reaffirms the support of the United States for the full 
        territorial integrity of Ukraine;
            (3) continues to acknowledge that a sovereign Ukraine is 
        necessary for peace and stability in Europe and around the 
        world;
            (4) commends NATO and the international community, 
        including the United Nations, for their continued efforts to 
        support human rights, peace, and democracy in Ukraine; and
            (5) encourages the United States and the transatlantic 
        community to continue to stand up to Russia's illegal and 
        unprovoked war in Ukraine and counter Russian aggression 
        worldwide.
                                 <all>
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