Sec. 3. Sense of Congress
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It is the sense of Congress that— Ukraine stands as a bulwark against the malign influence of the Russian Federation in Europe, and robust United States support for Ukraine is vital to United States national security and demonstrates the commitment of the United States to upholding a free and open international order; since Ukraine’s independence in 1991, the Government and people of Ukraine have made significant strides towards improved governance, rule of law, anti-corruption measures, and economic reforms;
Ukraine’s long-term viability is directly connected to its efforts to reduce corruption and build strong democratic institutions that are able to defend against internal and external corrupt actors; the efforts and sacrifices of Ukrainian citizens to determine their own fate after centuries of oppression, through democratic representation and governance reforms, is evidence of that country’s dedication to a free, independent, and democratic future; Ukraine has proven itself to be a valuable security partner of the United States, not simply a recipient of assistance; it is in the national security interests of the United States to continue and deepen its security partnership with Ukraine, including through the provision of both lethal and non-lethal assistance; the United States should continue to place policy-based conditions on Ukraine’s receipt of financial and military assistance, as that mechanism has proven effective in incentivizing reforms in Ukraine; the United States should use its voice and vote at NATO to encourage the adoption of a policy by the Alliance that all of its member states will refuse to recognize the illegal attempted annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation; the United States should continue to bolster the capacity of the Ukrainian Navy as it strives to fulfill the goals it set out in its Strategy of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 2035 ; the military-focused technical, training, maintenance, and logistical assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine is as essential as the military hardware provided to the country; all security assistance provided to Ukraine should continue to be subject to rigorous vetting requirements under section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2378d ) and security cooperation under section 362 of title 10, United States Code, including assistance provided to units in the National Guard of Ukraine as well as all units falling under the authority of the Ministry of Defense; the Office of Defense Cooperation at the United States Embassy in Ukraine should be fully staffed with officers who serve three-year terms in order to administer the security assistance being provided to the country; the Secretary of Defense should conduct an assessment of the staffing resources of the Office of Defense Cooperation and strongly consider providing additional staff to the Office of Defense Cooperation in Ukraine; the enduring partnership between the United States and Ukraine, including bipartisan support for a sovereign, democratic, and whole Ukraine through political, monetary, and military assistance, remains strong and must continue to be reaffirmed; and the United States should continue to strongly support Ukraine’s ambitions to join the Euro-Atlantic community of democracies.
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