IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 982 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that France and other 

member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union should decline to sell major weapons systems or offensive 

military equipment to the Russian Federation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2009 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself and Mr. SHIMKUS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

France and other member states of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization and the European Union should 

decline to sell major weapons systems or offensive military equipment to the Russian Federation. 

Whereas discussions are currently underway between France 

and the Russian Federation regarding the possible sale of 

one or more of France’s ‘‘Mistral’’ amphibious assault 

warships to Russia as well as a license for Russia to 

produce further such vessels on its territory; 

Whereas a Mistral-class amphibious assault warship is capable of transporting and deploying 900 troops, up to 13 

tanks, 16 helicopters, and 4 landing craft; 


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•HRES 982 IH 

Whereas a Mistral-class assault warship costs between $600 

million and $750 million; 

Whereas, if the contract now being discussed by France and 

the Russian Federation is finalized, this would be the 

first instance in which a member of the North Atlantic 

Treaty Organization (NATO) sold such advanced military 

technology to Russia; 

Whereas such a military sale by a NATO member state raises 

concerns, particularly in light of Russia’s military invasion of Georgia in August 2008, which violated Georgia’s 

territorial integrity, caused tens of thousands of persons 

to be internally displaced, and inflicted massive destruction by the bombing of Georgian infrastructure, including 

ports, bridges, and railroads; 

Whereas, in violation of its international obligations, including the terms of a French-brokered ceasefire agreement 

between Russia and Georgia, Russia continues to occupy 

Georgian territory, has built a permanent military infrastructure in the Georgian region of South Ossetia, has 

announced plans to build a naval base in the Georgian 

region of Abkhazia, and has vetoed any monitoring presence in those regions by either the United Nations or the 

Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe 

(OSCE); 

Whereas the Russian Federation has failed to fulfill the commitment it made in 1999 at the OSCE Summit in 

Istanbul to withdraw its military forces from the 

Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova by the 

end of 2002; 

Whereas a number of European countries, particularly some 

which have only recently joined NATO and the European 


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•HRES 982 IH 

Union, are now understandably concerned about their 

own political independence and security in the aftermath 

of Russia’s invasion of Georgia; 

Whereas concerns regarding Russia’s intentions toward the 

independent states of the former Soviet region and of 

Eastern Europe were further escalated when, in September 2009, Russia and Belarus participated in a military exercise in which the two countries reportedly simulated an air and sea attack on Poland; 

Whereas some have argued that providing Russia with a Mistral-class amphibious assault warship would enhance that 

country’s ability to potentially wage aggression against 

its neighbors; 

Whereas the Russian Navy’s Commander-in-Chief, Admiral 

Vladimir Vysotskiy recently made the following statement 

about the ‘‘Mistral’’ ship, ‘‘In the conflict [against Georgia] in August last year, a ship like that would have allowed the [Russian] Black Sea Fleet to accomplish its 

mission in 40 minutes, not 26 hours, which is how long 

it took us’’; 

Whereas, when asked where Russia would deploy the ‘‘Mistral’’ ship if the deal is finalized, Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, stated that Russia ‘‘would use the 

warships wherever they would be needed’’; 

Whereas, on November 9, 2009, Russian President Dmitry 

Medvedev signed into law a bill expanding the use of 

Russian troops abroad; 

Whereas a number of Russia’s neighbors, including Estonia, 

Lithuania, Latvia, and Georgia have raised questions regarding the proposed ‘‘Mistral’’ ship sale to Russia; and 


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Whereas according to Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas 

Paet, ‘‘Adding new military technology to the Black Sea 

. . . [would] not be a good idea’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) given Russia’s increasingly aggressive ac4 tions and rhetoric, the sale of major advanced weap5 onry and offensive military equipment, such as naval 

6 warships, to the Russian Federation could have a 

7 destabilizing effect on the Baltic and the Black Sea 

8 regions and on other parts of the former Soviet re9 gion and Eastern Europe; 

10 (2) in light of continuing, serious concerns re11 garding the Russian Government’s failure to appro12 priately enforce the rule of law and protection of 

13 human rights within its territory, including the con14 tinued failure to halt or properly investigate and 

15 prosecute the numerous murders of human rights 

16 activists, lawyers, reporters, and others in Russia, 

17 the sale of major offensive weapons systems to Rus18 sia is inappropriate; and 

19 (3) the President and the Secretaries of State 

20 and Defense should urge France and the other mem21 ber states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

22 (NATO) and the European Union allies not to sell 

23 major weapons systems or any offensive military 


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•HRES 982 IH 

1 equipment, such as naval warships, to the Russian 

2 Federation unless and until that country has— 

3 (A) fully and verifiably withdrawn its 

4 troops from all of the territory of Georgia and 

5 revoked its recognition as sovereign states of 

6 the separatist regions within the internationally 

7 recognized territory of Georgia; 

8 (B) fulfilled its commitments to withdraw 

9 its military forces from the Transnistrian re10 gion of the Republic of Moldova; 

11 (C) ceased any and all actions and policies 

12 that currently violate or would threaten the sov13 ereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring 

14 states; 

15 (D) halted sales of advanced conventional 

16 weapons, technology, and materials usable in 

17 the construction of weapons of mass destruction 

18 to state sponsors of terrorism or terrorist orga19 nizations; and 

20 (E) taken steps to constructively address 

21 the serious concerns regarding the Russian 

22 Government’s failure to properly enforce the 

23 rule of law and human rights within the terri24 tory of the Russian Federation. 

Æ 


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