•HRES 1038 IH 
Whereas the United Nations Charter Preamble states that 
member nations ‘‘reaffirm faith in fundamental human 
rights [and] in the dignity and worth of the human per-
son’’; 
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Pre-
amble states that ‘‘Member States have pledged them-
selves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, 
the promotion of universal respect for and observance of 
human rights and fundamental freedoms’’; 
Whereas the Russian Federation joined as an original mem-
ber of the United Nations as the former Union of Soviet 
Socialists Republics on October 24, 1945, and as such 
has a duty to abide by the conditions of the United Na-
tions Charter and pledges reflected in the Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights; 
Whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an inter-
national tribunal that seeks to uphold the rule of law, es-
pecially in areas where no rule of law exists, by inves-
tigating and trying individuals charged ‘‘with the gravest 
crimes of concern to the international community: geno-
cide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime 
of aggression’’; 
Whereas grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions con-
stitute war crimes, including ‘‘wil[l]ful killing, torture or 
inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, 
wil[l]fully causing great suffering or serious injury to 
body or health . . . and extensive destruction and appro-
priation of property, not justified by military necessity 
and carried out unlawfully and wantonly’’; 
Whereas other serious violations of the laws and customs ap-
plicable in international armed conflict can constitute war 
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•HRES 1038 IH 
crimes, which can include intentionally directing attacks 
against the civilian population as such or against indi-
vidual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities and in-
tentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, that 
is, objects which are not military objectives; 
Whereas President Vladimir Putin, members of the Russian 
Security Council, and President Putin’s military com-
manders have severely undermined the international rule 
of law through their various actions; 
Whereas, prior to the most recent invasion of Ukraine in 
February 2022, President Vladimir Putin and the Rus-
sian Federation has a long history of committing acts of 
aggression, human rights violations, and acts that con-
stitute war crimes within the Russian Federation and 
around the globe, including in Chechnya, Georgia, 
Ukraine, and Syria; 
Whereas, beginning in 1999, the Russian Federation engaged 
in the indiscriminate use of force against the people of 
Chechnya, including the use of cluster munitions against 
civilians, resulting in 50,000 Chechens, mostly civilians, 
dead or missing; 
Whereas, during the Russian Federation’s invasion of Geor-
gia in 2008, Russian Armed Forces engaged with cluster 
munitions in indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks 
that resulted in the death of civilians; 
Whereas, since 2014, President Vladimir Putin has violated 
the sovereignty of Ukraine and used military force to 
seize control and unlawfully occupy Crimea, and installed 
Russian separatist-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, re-
sulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians 
since 2014; 
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•HRES 1038 IH 
Whereas the Russian military was deemed responsible for 
shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern 
Ukraine on July 17, 2014, which resulted in the death 
of 298 civilians; 
Whereas rebel forces supported by the Russian Federation 
were deemed responsible for a missile attack on January 
24, 2015, in Mariupol, Ukraine that indiscriminately 
killed and injured civilians, resulting in the death of at 
least 30 and injuring many more; 
Whereas, in 2016 and 2017, Russian aircraft deployed 
‘‘bunker-busting’’ and incendiary bombs capable of de-
stroying military installations on civilian structures in 
Aleppo, Syria, resulting in the death of hundreds of civil-
ians; 
Whereas President Vladimir Putin is complicit in war crimes 
and human rights violations in Syria through his con-
tinuing political, financial, and military support for Presi-
dent Bashar al-Assad; 
Whereas intelligence assessments have concluded Vladimir 
Putin and his regime have destroyed the rule of law in 
Russia and engaged in countless atrocities, including or-
dering the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, the poisoning of 
Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the false imprisonment and 
torture ultimately leading to the death of Sergei 
Magnitsky; 
Whereas President Vladimir Putin, in February 2022, initi-
ated a premeditated, unprovoked, unjustified, and unlaw-
ful war against the sovereign nation of Ukraine; 
Whereas, since February 24, 2022, President Vladimir Putin 
and Russian Federation forces reportedly killed more 
than 500 civilians, to include children, while invading 
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•HRES 1038 IH 
Ukrainian urban centers, causing chaos and fear among 
Ukrainian citizens; 
Whereas, on February 28, 2022, the Ukrainian Ambassador 
to the United States, Oksana Markarova, claimed Presi-
dent 
Vladimir 
Putin 
ordered 
the 
deployment 
of 
thermobaric weapons and cluster munitions to be used in 
the northeastern towns of Okhtyrka and Karkhiv, in pop-
ulated, urban areas; 
Whereas Ukraine has twice submitted to the jurisdiction of 
the ICC for the purposes of investigating alleged war 
crimes and crimes against humanity committed within its 
territory related to the Russian occupation of Ukraine; 
Whereas Lithuania and Canada, members to the authorizing 
treaty of the ICC, have called on the ICC to open an in-
vestigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against 
humanity committed by Russia; 
Whereas, on February 28, 2022, the Prosecutor of the ICC, 
Karim A.A. Khan QC stated that the ICC would open a 
third investigation against Russia for alleged war crimes 
and crimes against humanity committed during the Rus-
sian invasion into Ukraine, which began on February 24, 
2022; 
Whereas Ukraine has also filed a claim in the International 
Court of Justice (ICJ) instituting proceedings against the 
Russian Federation related to genocide under the Geno-
cide Convention; and 
Whereas the United States Government should use its voice, 
vote, and influence to pursue war crimes and crimes 
against humanity allegations against Vladimir Putin and 
his military commanders in international institutions of 
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•HRES 1038 IH 
which it is a member and encourage other allies and 
partners to express the same: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 
The House of Representatives— 
(1) strongly condemns the ongoing violence, in-
cluding war crimes, crimes against humanity, and 
systematic human rights abuses being carried out by 
the Russian Armed Forces and their proxies and 
President Putin’s military commanders, at the direc-
tion of President Vladimir Putin; 
(2) encourages member states to petition the 
ICC or other appropriate international tribunal to 
take any appropriate steps to investigate war crimes 
and crimes against humanity committed by the Rus-
sian Armed Forces and their proxies and President 
Putin’s military commanders, at the direction of 
President Vladimir Putin; 
(3) supports any investigation into war crimes, 
crimes against humanity, and systematic human 
rights abuses levied by President Vladimir Putin, the 
Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed 
Forces and their proxies, and President Putin’s mili-
tary commanders; 
(4) encourages the United States Government 
and partner nations to use their voice, vote, and in-
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•HRES 1038 IH 
fluence in international institutions in which they 
are members to hold President Vladimir Putin, the 
Russian Security Council, the Russian Armed 
Forces and their proxies, and President Putin’s mili-
tary commanders accountable for their sponsorship 
of ongoing violence, including war crimes, crimes 
against humanity, and systematic human rights 
abuses; and 
(5) stands with the people of Ukraine who have 
been affected by the brutality of the Putin regime. 
SEC. 2. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this resolution may be construed as— 
(1) a declaration of war or an authorization for 
the use of military force against the Russian Fed-
eration; or 
(2) authorization for the introduction of the 
United States Armed Forces into Ukraine. 
Æ 
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