(2) On March 2, 2014, Russian troops invaded 
the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, seizing control of 
the peninsula, border crossings, government and ad-
ministrative buildings, key infrastructure, and sur-
rounding Ukrainian military bases. 
(3) From February 26 to March 3, 2014, 
President Putin directed exercises of 150,000 troops, 
including air and naval forces, and live fire dem-
onstrations in western Russia, near the border with 
Ukraine. 
(4) On March 3, 2014, the Department of De-
fense announced it was suspending United States 
military engagement with Russia. 
(5) On March 12, 2014, in response to Russian 
aggression and provocations, the United States de-
ployed additional F–15 aircraft to NATO’s Baltic 
Air Policing Mission and F–16 aircraft to an avia-
tion detachment in Poland. 
(6) On March 16, 2014, Crimea held a ref-
erendum on seceding from Ukraine and accede to 
the Russian Federation, which violated the Ukrain-
ian constitution, occurred under duress of Russian 
military intervention, and was not recognized by the 
international community. 
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(7) On March 20, 2014, the Russian par-
liament voted to annex Crimea and Russian Presi-
dent Putin signed the treaty of accession annexing 
Crimea to the Russian Federation. 
(8) On March 23, 2014, NATO Supreme Allied 
Command and Commander of U.S. European Com-
mand, General Philip Breedlove stated that the Rus-
sian ‘‘force that is at the Ukrainian border now to 
the east is very, very sizeable and very, very ready’’. 
(9) The Government of the Federation of Rus-
sian continues to provoke demonstrations and vio-
lence in Ukraine in order to create a false narrative 
of separatism and illegal justification for Russian 
intervention. 
(10) On April 3, 2014, NATO Supreme Allied 
Commander and Commander of U.S. European 
Command, General Philip Breedlove, stated that 
Russia has 40,000 troops capable of moving within 
12 hours with elements of a Combined Arms Army, 
supported by fixed-wing aircraft, rotary aircraft, and 
the logistics required in order to successfully make 
an incursion. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 
Congress that— 
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(1) the continuing and long-standing pattern 
and practice by the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration of physical, diplomatic, and economic aggres-
sion toward neighboring countries is clearly intended 
to undermine regional security and stability; 
(2) the Russian military build-up and aggres-
sive posture on the eastern border of Ukraine rep-
resents a deliberate intent to intimidate Ukraine and 
its citizens to submit to Russian control; 
(3) the Russian Federation should immediately 
cease all improper and illegal activities in Ukraine, 
including the seizures of airfields and other loca-
tions, and President Putin should direct an imme-
diate return of Russian forces to their barracks; 
(4) the United States reaffirms its strong com-
mitment to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Se-
curity Assurances which was executed jointly with 
the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom to 
explicitly secure the independence, sovereignty, and 
territorial integrity and borders of Ukraine; 
(5) the United States supports the continued 
professionalization of the Ukrainian military and 
should enhance United States direct security co-
operation with the Ukrainian military; 
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(6) the United States reaffirms its defense com-
mitments to its treaty allies under Article 5 of the 
North Atlantic Treaty; 
(7) the United States supports the expansion of 
security cooperation with states in Central and East-
ern Europe, including NATO member states, NATO 
aspirants, and appropriate Eastern Partnership 
countries; 
(8) the United States should seek immediate 
membership in NATO for Montenegro, a NATO 
Membership Action Plan for Georgia, a diplomatic 
solution to disputes between Macedonia and Greece, 
and seek resolution to the constitutional issues of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina; 
(9) the United States reaffirms its support for 
the Supreme Allied Commander of Supreme Head-
quarters, Allied Powers Europe to support NATO 
efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully and dip-
lomatically; 
(10) the United States encourages the North 
Atlantic Council to act in a timely manner to direct 
the Supreme Allied Commander of Supreme Head-
quarters, Allied Powers Europe to begin the NATO 
Defense Planning Process to NATO contingency 
plans in response to a Russian invasion of Ukraine, 
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including in Crimea, and establish political guidance 
and determine military capability requirements to ef-
fectively posture NATO military forces; and 
(11) the United States should take immediate 
steps to enhance its military presence and readiness 
posture in Europe to deter aggression and assure al-
lies and partners through forward presence and en-
gagement. 
SEC. 3. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR UNITED STATES SE-
CURITY FORCE ASSISTANCE AND COOPERA-
TION IN THE EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN RE-
GIONS. 
(a) STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall de-
velop a strategic framework for United States secu-
rity force assistance and cooperation in the Euro-
pean and Eurasian regions. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategic framework re-
quired by paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An evaluation of the extent to which 
the threat to security and stability in the Euro-
pean and Eurasian regions is a threat to the 
national security of the United States and the 
security interests of the NATO alliance. 
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