•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 Sep-
tember 2009, Russia and Belarus participated in a mili-
tary exercise in which the two countries reportedly simu-
lated an air and sea attack on Poland; 
Whereas some have argued that providing Russia with a Mis-
tral-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 Geor-
gia] in August last year, a ship like that would have al-
lowed 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 ‘‘Mis-
tral’’ ship if the deal is finalized, Russia’s Prime Min-
ister, 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 re-
garding the proposed ‘‘Mistral’’ ship sale to Russia; and 
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•HRES 982 IH 
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 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) given Russia’s increasingly aggressive ac-
tions and rhetoric, the sale of major advanced weap-
onry and offensive military equipment, such as naval 
warships, to the Russian Federation could have a 
destabilizing effect on the Baltic and the Black Sea 
regions and on other parts of the former Soviet re-
gion and Eastern Europe; 
(2) in light of continuing, serious concerns re-
garding the Russian Government’s failure to appro-
priately enforce the rule of law and protection of 
human rights within its territory, including the con-
tinued failure to halt or properly investigate and 
prosecute the numerous murders of human rights 
activists, lawyers, reporters, and others in Russia, 
the sale of major offensive weapons systems to Rus-
sia is inappropriate; and 
(3) the President and the Secretaries of State 
and Defense should urge France and the other mem-
ber states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO) and the European Union allies not to sell 
major weapons systems or any offensive military 
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•HRES 982 IH 
equipment, such as naval warships, to the Russian 
Federation unless and until that country has— 
(A) fully and verifiably withdrawn its 
troops from all of the territory of Georgia and 
revoked its recognition as sovereign states of 
the separatist regions within the internationally 
recognized territory of Georgia; 
(B) fulfilled its commitments to withdraw 
its military forces from the Transnistrian re-
gion of the Republic of Moldova; 
(C) ceased any and all actions and policies 
that currently violate or would threaten the sov-
ereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring 
states; 
(D) halted sales of advanced conventional 
weapons, technology, and materials usable in 
the construction of weapons of mass destruction 
to state sponsors of terrorism or terrorist orga-
nizations; and 
(E) taken steps to constructively address 
the serious concerns regarding the Russian 
Government’s failure to properly enforce the 
rule of law and human rights within the terri-
tory of the Russian Federation. 
Æ 
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