Bill Summary
This resolution affirms the United States' support for the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova in their efforts to maintain political sovereignty and territorial integrity. The resolution recognizes these countries as sovereign members of the United Nations and highlights their alignment with the European Union and their participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace Program. It also condemns Russia's actions, including the annexation of Crimea and its continued aggression in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. The resolution calls for the withdrawal of Russian forces and equipment from these countries' sovereign territories and urges the United States and its allies to continue pressuring Russia to uphold its international obligations. It also encourages increased cooperation and support between the United States and these countries in areas such as defense, security, and trade. Finally, the resolution calls for the Secretary of State to engage in dialogue with these countries to combat Russian interference in their democratic processes.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation reaffirms the support of the United States for the integration of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova into the European Union. This could potentially affect the people of these countries by opening up new economic and educational opportunities, as well as potentially granting them the ability to freely travel and work within the EU.
2. The legislation calls for all personnel and equipment belonging to Russian security or armed forces to immediately withdraw from the sovereign territory of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. This could potentially affect the people living in these areas by reducing the presence of Russian military and potentially decreasing the threat of conflict and instability.
3. The legislation supports enhanced cooperation among the United States and the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to assist in strengthening their capacity to resist the destabilizing activities of Russia. This could potentially affect the people of these countries by increasing their security and stability, as well as potentially reducing the influence of Russia in their political processes.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 510 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 510
Affirming United States support to the countries of Ukraine, Georgia,
and Moldova in their effort to retain political sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 23, 2019
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Keating) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Affirming United States support to the countries of Ukraine, Georgia,
and Moldova in their effort to retain political sovereignty and
territorial integrity.
Whereas the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova are sovereign, voting
member nations of the United Nations;
Whereas the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova all signed Association
Agreements with the European Union in 2014;
Whereas the European Parliament passed Resolution 2014/2717 recognizing
Ukraine's, Georgia's, and Moldova's European alignment and ability to
become members of the European Union;
Whereas the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova joined the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace Program in 1994;
Whereas the modern country of Ukraine was founded in 1991 and recognized by the
United States the same year;
Whereas Ukraine held free and fair parliamentary elections in 2014 and will hold
new parliamentary elections on July 21, 2019;
Whereas March 1, 2019, marked 5 years since the Government of the Russian
Federation authorized the use of military forces in Ukraine leading to a
forcible and illegal annexation of Crimea;
Whereas Russia has actively engaged in and supported illegal activity since
April 2014, including through the deployment of Russian armed forces and
equipment, that has resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 people
and the internal displacement of 2,000,000 people according to the
United Nations;
Whereas the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances signed by Russia in
December 1994 provided security assurances against the threats or use of
force against the territorial integrity or political sovereignty of
Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine's voluntary and peaceful willingness to
relinquish its nuclear weapons;
Whereas Russia, despite its commitments to the Minsk agreements, continues to
destabilize Ukraine through a variety of military and political
maneuvers;
Whereas continued Russian aggression against Ukraine in contravention of the
Budapest Memorandum threatens current and future efforts to combat the
proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas, since 2014, Russia has annexed and occupied the Ukrainian territory of
Crimea in contravention of international law;
Whereas Russia is holding nearly 100 Ukrainian political prisoners in Russian
territory and the territory it currently occupies in Crimea in
contravention of international law;
Whereas the Russian Federal Security Service coast guard illegally fired upon
and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels, including 24 Ukrainian crew
members, that were exercising Ukraine's right to navigation through the
Kerch Strait on the way to the port of Mariupol;
Whereas the modern country of Georgia was founded in 1991 and recognized by the
United States in 1992;
Whereas Georgia held competitive, well-administered, and free parliamentary
elections in 2016 and is expected to hold new parliamentary elections by
2020;
Whereas the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, one-fifth of
Georgia's sovereign territory, remain under Russian occupation since the
aftermath of Russia's August 2008 war with Georgia;
Whereas the modern Republic of Moldova was founded in 1991 and recognized by the
United States the same year;
Whereas Moldova held competitive and generally well-administered parliamentary
elections in 2014 and held new parliamentary elections on February 24,
2019;
Whereas military forces and equipment from Russia have remained in the
separatist region of Transnistria since Moldova declared independence in
1991;
Whereas the European Court of Human Rights, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, and the Government of Moldova have called upon Russia to
remove its troops from Moldovan territory; and
Whereas it is the longstanding policy of the United States not to recognize
territorial changes that are the result of illegal uses of force: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
support the democratically elected Governments of Ukraine,
Georgia, and Moldova and their people;
(2) reaffirms the support of the United States for the
integration of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova into the European
Union;
(3) condemns Russia's continued contravention of its
commitments under the Budapest Memorandum and the pursuant harm
Russia continues to cause to the people of Ukraine, Georgia,
and Moldova;
(4) calls for all personnel and equipment belonging to
Russian security or armed forces to immediately withdraw from
the sovereign territory of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova;
(5) calls on Russia to allow for and safeguard the
unrestricted freedom of movement of the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission
in eastern Ukraine;
(6) calls on Russia to immediately return all 24 Ukrainian
crew members and the three vessels captured during the Kerch
attack;
(7) calls for Russia to immediately cease its military
support to illegal paramilitary units operating within the
internationally recognized territories of Ukraine, Georgia, and
Moldova;
(8) calls for Russia to cease its destabilizing activities
in Transnistria in Moldova, South Ossetia and Abkhazia in
Georgia, and the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, as
well as to terminate its forcible and illegal annexation of
Crimea;
(9) calls on the United States Government, United States
allies in Europe, the United Nations, and international
partners to continue to pressure Russia to uphold its
international obligations;
(10) commends the ongoing cooperation among the Governments
of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to confront ongoing Russian
violations of their territorial integrity and combat efforts to
destabilize or otherwise exert a malign influence over
political activity in their countries;
(11) supports enhanced cooperation among the United States
and the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to assist in
strengthening their capacity to resist the destabilizing
activities of Russia, including in areas of defense and
security;
(12) continues to oppose Russian threats to the energy
security of United States allies in Europe and encourages the
Government of the United States to further support the
diversification of energy supplies to Europe;
(13) supports increased economic cooperation and bilateral
trade between the United States and the countries of Ukraine,
Georgia, and Moldova; and
(14) calls on the Secretary of State to engage in a
dialogue with the countries of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova on
best practices to combat Russian meddling in the sovereign
nations' democratic processes.
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