U.S. remains committed to Ukraine’s right to choose its own government and its own destiny says Foreign Affairs Chair

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House passed legislation supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their government and determine their future.  The legislation, introduced by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), passed the Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this month.  U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the legislation’s passage:

“Almost two years after the conflict in Ukraine began Russian aggression remains a daily reality.  As part of an effort to bring peace to this war-torn region, Ukraine will hold local elections this Sunday.  Unfortunately, elections can’t be held in the areas controlled by Russian-led separatists because intimidation and manipulation make free and fair elections impossible.  But the elections held in the rest of the country will demonstrate that Ukraine is continuing to implement democratic reforms and that the Ukrainian people are determined to bring peace to their country.  By overwhelmingly adopting this bipartisan resolution, the House sends a clear message to the Ukrainian people that the United States remains committed to their right to choose their own government and their own destiny.” 

Note: Last year, Chairman Royce led a bipartisan delegation to Ukraine to see the situation on the ground.  In Kyiv and in Dnepropetrovsk in the east, members spoke with local officials, and with a broad range of individuals from civil society, including women’s groups, leaders of the Jewish and Tatar communities, and even former supporters of President Yanukovych, among many others.

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