Date: 2014-03-11
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Thank you so much. Congresswoman KAPTUR. for your leadership and for organizing a briefing earlier today for Members of Congress with head leaders from the State Department on the actions that are happening. and for your leadership in passing H. Res. 499 today. which condemned the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. independence. and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation. We appreciate very much your making that happen and helping us to pass that resolution. Once again. the Russians have rattled their sabers and tightened their grip on the Ukraine. In the past 24 hours they have seized a Ukrainian naval base. Even though the Constitution declares Crimea to be an integral part of Ukraine. the proRussian regional authorities in Crimea continue to sever links to Ukraines capital today. canceling incoming flights from Kiev. They have also run out of town any of the monitors that have come from the United Nations or the independent free world. Flights to and from Turkey also have been suspended. The Russians have threatened to confiscate Western assets and refuse to even speak to the Ukraines interim prime minister on the phone. The interim prime minister has found $80 billion missingeven loan guarantee money. This Congress needs to work together to find that money and return it rightfully to the Ukrainian people. Yanukovych. the disgraced former President. did the Russians bidding and appealed to Ukrainian military units to refuse to follow the orders of the new interim authorities. Once again. today. the Russians ignored international norms. calls for restraint. and all the cries for justice for all those who were gunned down in Independence Square. Congresswoman. are you aware that there has been no action to punish the people who killed community leaders and others in Independence Square? Eightytwo people were murdered. My constituents have held vigils. They have memorials that they have constructed. In their churches they have pictures of every single martyred hero and heroine. with their stories. Yet no one has been held accountable for that crime against decency and humanity of killing innocent people. They have ignored Ukrainian sovereignty. treaties. and the rule of law. all in an effort to reestablish a disgraced petty tyrant whose secret life of obscene opulence includedthis is hard to saygoldplated toiletsthat is what they are saying on the Internetalong with pictures of all of his zoos and his house and all kinds of things where he wasted the money of the Ukrainian people on wasteful things. On the other hand. the Ukrainians have already done the right thing for the world around them. In 1994. they signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and willingly gave up the thirdlargest stockpile of nuclear weapons. They are a peaceloving people. With the peaceful stroke of a pen this eliminated a far greater threat to world peace than North Korea and Iran combined. The key thing the Ukrainians were promised in return was security assurances against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. The U.S. and Russia. Congresswoman. were signatories to that statement. President Obama has made it clear that America will stand with the Ukrainian people. We are all watching everyday on television what is happening. and what has struck me the most was the scene where the Russians were shooting in the air and shouting at the Ukrainians. and they marched peacefully towards them. One general called out: America stands with us. That is true. America stands with peaceloving people around the world and for democracy. We so often take for granted the freedoms. the liberties. the democracy that we have that others are struggling for around the world. Tomorrow. the Ukraines interim prime minister is scheduled to meet President Obama at the White House here in our country. The White House has announced visa restrictions on Russians and Crimeans who are threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The President is working with Americas allies to craft economic sanctions that will punish and isolate the architects of this aggression. Secretary of State John Kerry has traveled to Kiev to mourn for the fallen in Independence Square and to bring $1 billion in American loan guarantees and pledges of technical assistance. We overwhelmingly passed the $1 billion loan guarantee without a cap here in our Congress. It was an important vote. We all stood with the Ukrainians. Now it is time for Congress to make it clear that we stand with the Ukrainian people. The resolution we passed today is a good startcondemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. independence. and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation. To paraphrase the Ukrainian anthem: Their persistence and toils should be rewarded. Let freedoms song resound. We should be asking our friends in Russia. What is their word worth? What is their signature worth on any document. on any treaty. or on any contract? What is their word worth? I would like to invite the distinguished Congresswoman to join me this Saturday with the Ukrainian community on Roosevelt Island. named after FDR. who went to Crimea for Yalta and spoke of the four freedoms: freedom of want. freedom of religion. freedom of democracy. freedom of speech. These freedoms are what the people in the Ukraine are fighting for. longing for. working for. We are going to gather at the Four Freedoms Park in Manhattan to pray with. to be with. and to stand with the Ukrainian people who are bravely fighting as we speak for their freedoms. for their independence. for American values that they want as their values. America stands with them. The American people are standing with the Ukrainians. I thank the gentlelady for having found the Ukrainian Caucus here in Congress. of which I am a member. and also for having crafted resolutions and so many statements in their support and helping to organize in a bipartisan way. Because this country is united. We are speaking with one voice. Republicans and Democrats. in support of the Ukrainian people. I thank the gentlelady for her magnificent leadership.