III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 480 

To support an independent and democratic Ukraine against any further 

Russian military invasion, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 16, 2021 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. BROWN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms. ERNST, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

CASEY, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, and Mr. RUBIO) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

To support an independent and democratic Ukraine against 

any further Russian military invasion, and for other purposes. 

Whereas, on August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament 

voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet 

Union and set December 1, 1991, for a national independence referendum; 

Whereas, on December 1, 1991, more than 90 percent of 

Ukrainians voting in the referendum supported independence; 

Whereas, by December 25, 1991, the United States joined 

more than 20 countries, including Russia, in recognizing 

Ukrainian independence; 


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•SRES 480 IS 

Whereas the newly independent Ukraine, while rich in natural resources and human talent, also inherited endemic 

corruption, an aging Soviet infrastructure, government 

mismanagement, and significant economic challenges; 

Whereas the newly independent Ukraine also inherited one of 

the world’s largest nuclear weapons arsenals; 

Whereas, on December 5, 1994, Ukraine joined the United 

States, Russia, and the United Kingdom in signing the 

‘‘Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances,’’ in 

which it agreed to remove all nuclear weapons from its 

territory in exchange for assurance that Russia would respect its sovereignty; 

Whereas, on February 8, 1994, Ukraine was the first member state of the Commonwealth of Independent States to 

join the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and has since been 

recognized as an Enhanced Opportunities Partner; 

Whereas, on November 22, 2004, Ukrainians peacefully took 

to the streets in protest of a fraudulent presidential election, beginning the Orange Revolution and resulting in 

new free and fair elections; 

Whereas, on November 21, 2013, peaceful protests began on 

Independence Square (Maidan) in Kyiv against the decision by then-President Viktor Yanukovych to suspend 

signing the Ukraine-European Union (EU) Association 

Agreement and instead pursue closer ties with the Russian Federation; 

Whereas the Maidan protests quickly drew thousands of people and broadened to become a general demonstration in 

support of Ukraine’s integration with the European 


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•SRES 480 IS 

Union and against widespread Yanukovych regime corruption; 

Whereas, from February 18–20, 2014, an estimated 104 people were killed and 2,500 injured as a result of violent 

crackdowns by authorities against protesters; 

Whereas, beginning February 20, 2014, the Russian Federation clandestinely invaded Ukraine, with Russian troops 

claiming to be Ukrainian separatists, and since then have 

militarily occupied the regions of Crimea and Donbas; 

Whereas, on February 22, 2014, and following months of 

protests, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to remove 

President Yanukovych and hold early presidential election 

in May; 

Whereas, on May 25, 2014, President Petro Poroshenko was 

elected on a message of strengthening Ukraine’s territorial integrity, negotiating with Russia, and strengthening ties with Europe; 

Whereas, on July 17, 2014, Russian-backed separatists shot 

down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine 

with Russian missiles, killing all 298 people on board; 

Whereas, on September 5, 2014, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) signed the Minsk Protocol 

aimed at ending the conflict, which the Russian Federation continued to violate; 

Whereas, on February 12, 2015, a new package of measures 

to end the conflict in Ukraine was signed, known as 

Minsk II, provisions of which have still not yet been fully 

implemented; 


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•SRES 480 IS 

Whereas at least 14,000 Ukrainians have been killed defending their homeland and millions more displaced since the 

conflict with Russia began; 

Whereas, on September 1, 2017, the European UnionUkraine Association Agreement came into force; 

Whereas, on April 21, 2019, President Volodymyr Zelensnky 

was elected on a platform of fighting corruption and restarting peace talks with Russian-backed separatists; 

Whereas, on July 16, 2019, the United States Senate unanimously passed S. Res. 74 (116th Congress), marking the 

fifth anniversary of Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity by 

honoring the bravery, determination, and sacrifice of the 

people of Ukraine during and since the Revolution, and 

condemning continued Russian aggression against 

Ukraine; 

Whereas, in early and again in late 2021, Russia deployed a 

massive troop and weapons buildup on the border with 

Ukraine; 

Whereas, on December 1, 2021, NATO Secretary General 

Jens Stoltenberg said that if Russia decides to once 

again ‘‘use force against Ukraine, then we have made it 

clear . . . during the NATO Foreign Minister meeting in 

Latvia today that Russia will then have to pay a high 

price; there will be serious consequences for Russia . . . 

And that’s a clear message from NATO.’’; 

Whereas, on December 7, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden 

warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the West 

would impose ‘‘strong economic and other measures’’ if 

Russia invades Ukraine; and 

Whereas, on December 12, 2021, at a meeting in Liverpool, 

delegates of the Group of Seven (G7) released a joint 


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•SRES 480 IS 

statement saying, ‘‘Russia should be in no doubt that 

further military aggression against Ukraine would have 

massive consequences and severe cost in response . . . 

We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s 

sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right 

of any sovereign state to determine its own future.’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) denounces the current Russian military 

3 buildup on the Ukraine boarder as provocative, reck4 less, and contrary to established international 

5 norms; 

6 (2) reaffirms unwavering United States support 

7 for a secure, democratic, and independent Ukraine 

8 free to choose its own leaders and future; 

9 (3) reaffirms unwavering United States and 

10 NATO commitment to support the continuing ef11 forts of the Government of Ukraine to restore its 

12 territorial integrity by providing consistent political 

13 and diplomatic support and additional lethal and 

14 non-lethal security assistance to strengthen the de15 fense capabilities of Ukraine on land and sea and in 

16 the air; and 

17 (4) calls on the Government of the Russian 

18 Federation to abide by commitments agreed to in 

19 2014 and 2015 in the Minsk agreements. 

Æ 


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