Sec. 101. Affirming support for Ukraine
500 words·~2 min read·
/bill/119/hr/2913/ih/section-101·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched an unprovoked and brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, subjecting the nation to acts of aggression that have threatened its independence and security. For three years, the people of Ukraine have demonstrated extraordinary resilience, courage, and determination in the face of relentless attacks on their homes, communities, sovereignty, and fundamental freedoms.
Since the beginning of the invasion, Russia has engaged in widespread and systematic war crimes, including— deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and evacuation corridors; the forced deportation and kidnapping of at least 19,000 Ukrainian children to Russian-controlled territories in an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity; the destruction of Ukraine’s agricultural and energy infrastructure to create humanitarian crises and disrupt global food supply chains; and the use of torture, extrajudicial killings, and mass graves in occupied Ukrainian territories, as documented by the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and leading human rights organizations.
Despite these atrocities, the people of Ukraine remain unyielding, demonstrating that their spirit and commitment to self-determination cannot be extinguished. The Russian Federation, despite its overwhelming use of force, has suffered catastrophic military losses, with estimates exceeding 800,000 casualties, illustrating that President Vladimir Putin’s war of conquest has become both a strategic failure and a humanitarian disaster for Russia. Ukraine, despite facing an adversary with a far larger population, army, and military arsenal, continues to fight courageously for its sovereignty, demonstrating its resilience and determination.
Russia’s war has destabilized global security, undermining the principles of sovereignty and nonaggression and emboldening authoritarian regimes seeking to redraw international borders by force. The United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, and allied nations have demonstrated historic unity in their support for Ukraine, reaffirming their commitment to upholding international law, territorial integrity, and democratic values. It is the sense of Congress that the United States— recognizes that discussions surrounding the future of Ukraine must include Ukraine; condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s ongoing war crimes, its targeted destruction of Ukrainian society, and its blatant violations of international law; reaffirms its commitment to the people of Ukraine and the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders; urges the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and the Donbas, and affirms that any negotiations must be based on Ukraine’s sovereignty, not dictated by Russian ultimatums; demands international institutions take decisive action to ensure the safe return of at least 19,000 kidnapped Ukrainian children, recognizing that their forced deportation is a war crime and an act of genocide under international law; supports the continued prosecution of Vladimir Putin and Russian political and military leaders for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, reinforcing that those who orchestrate such atrocities must be held accountable before the world; and stresses that any sustainable peace deal must be built with Ukraine and our European allies at the table.