Proclaiming that it is United States policy to allow the Government of Ukraine to use United States weapons against military assets inside of the Russian Federation.

Bill: 118-hres-1621
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]
Introduced: 2024-12-18
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1621 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 18, 2024 Mr. Panetta (for himself and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Proclaiming that it is United States policy to allow the Government of Ukraine to use United States weapons against military assets inside of the Russian Federation.

Whereas, since the Russian Federation’s second invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian military, residential, health care, and energy infrastructure have been relentlessly targeted by Russian forces, killing thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians in the process, upending daily life, and causing nationwide blackouts; Whereas the Russian Federation has also perpetrated gross human rights violations against Ukrainians, using rape, religious persecution, torture, abduction of children, and other forms of inhumane treatment as weapons of war; Whereas, from September 2022 to September 2024, Russia launched nearly 11,466 missiles across Ukraine, averaging 23 missiles fired daily; Whereas, from October 2022 to September 2024, Russia launched nearly 1,000 attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with increased attacks orchestrated during winter months to cause widespread suffering among Ukrainian civilians; Whereas, since the start of the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has cooperated with the Islamic Republic of Iran to provide the Russian Federation with drones and missiles that have been used to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure and kill Ukrainian soldiers and civilians; Whereas, since October 2024, President Putin recruited upwards of 12,000 North Korean soldiers to supplant Russia’s wartime efforts and assault the Ukrainian people; Whereas, in November 2024, Russia also obtained long-range rocket and artillery systems from North Korea for use against Ukrainians; Whereas, on November 17, 2024, Russia launched one of the most large-scale drone and missile attacks against Ukraine’s power grid at the onset of winter, lasting several hours and killing numerous civilians; Whereas, since February 2022, the United States in partnership with Western allies have taken an incremental approach to security assistance for Ukraine, including providing Ukraine with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in June 2022, the Patriot Missile system in April 2023, and F–16 fighter jets in August 2024; Whereas, in May 2023, the United States provided Ukraine with longer range battlefield missiles to reach Russian military depots that have provided weapons and other military capabilities used against Ukraine; Whereas, although the United States providing Ukraine with HIMARS, the Patriot system, F–16s, and long-range weapons were considered by President Putin as crossing his red lines, the President has not enforced his threats to escalate, including through nuclear force; and Whereas, in November 2024, the United States lifted restrictions to authorize Ukrainians to use long-range missiles supplied by the United States against military assets inside Russia that have contributed to operations to illegally seize Ukrainian territory, kill civilians and troops, and destroy Ukraine’s infrastructure and power grids: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) views the Russian Federation’s unprovoked second invasion against Ukraine in February 2022, and its subsequent gross violations of human rights, as unacceptable and warranting support from the United States for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself by targeting military assets inside of the Russian Federation that are enabling President Putin’s war crimes; and (2) affirms it is the policy of the United States to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the United States to strike against military assets inside of the Russian Federation.