Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), passed H.Res. 499, as amended, a resolution introduced yesterday by Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), which condemns the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and calls for sanctions on Russian officials, banks and other state agencies.

Passage of today’s resolution follows a Committee hearing earlier in the day that examined the recent events in Ukraine.  To view archived video from the hearing or testimony from officials at the State Department, Treasury or USAID, click HERE.

A summary of the Committee action, including adopted amendments, is available HERE.

Chairman Royce on the resolution’s passage said:  “As we heard during this morning’s testimony – Ukraine is in a very difficult and tense situation.  Time is of the essence.  This resolution is a straight-forward declaration by the House in support of freedom loving Ukrainians in their time of trial.  It also condemns Russia’s unprovoked aggression in no uncertain terms. 

“This resolution is one part of a larger effort to provide assistance to Ukraine and to impose real costs on Russia for its actions, which this Committee is working on.  As part of an effort to show Moscow how isolated they are, world leaders are speaking out.  The House should speak too.  This action cannot go unchallenged.”

Condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty by Russian forces, H.Res. 499, as amended:

  • Calls on Ukraine and European countries and former Soviet Republics to support energy diversification initiatives to reduce Russian control of energy exports, including by promoting energy efficiency and reverse gas flows from Western Europe, and calls on the United States to promote increased gas exports and energy efficiency;
  • States that the military intervention by the Russian Federation:
  • Is in breach of its obligations under the United Nations Charter;
  • Is in violation of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, in which it pledged to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine and to refrain from the threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine;
  • Poses a threat to international peace and security; and
  • Calls on the Russian Federation to remove all of its military forces from Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, other than at those operating in accordance with its 1997 agreement on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet Stationing on the Territory of Ukraine, and to refrain from interference in all regions of Ukraine, including by ending its support of separatist and paramilitary forces in the Crimea; and
  • Declares that the Ukrainian people have the right to determine their own future free from outside interference;
  • Commends the Ukrainian government for its continued restraint and avoidance of military provocations;
  • Calls on the Ukrainian government to continue to protect the rights of all minority populations within Ukraine and make clear that it represents all Ukrainian citizens;
  • Calls on all Ukrainians to respect the legitimate government authorities in all parts of Ukraine, including in eastern and southern Ukraine;
  • Calls for the deployment of independent monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Crimea and other areas of Ukraine;
  • Calls on NATO allies and European Union member states to immediately suspend military cooperation with Russia, including restricting sales to the Russian government of lethal and non-lethal military equipment that might be used to support further aggression in Ukraine or elsewhere in the region;
  • Calls upon the President and the leaders of other democratic states to boycott the G-8 summit in Sochi, Russia, to convene a G-7 summit in June 2014 outside of Russia that does not include Russia, and to consider expelling Russia from the group, given its record of international aggression, domestic repression, and human records that are inconsistent with democratic standards;
  • Calls on the Administration to work with our European allies and other countries to impose visa, financial, trade, and other sanctions on senior Russian Federation officials, Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs and others complicit in Russia’s intervention and interference in Ukraine, majority state-owned banks and commercial organizations, and other state agencies, as appropriate;
  • States that the United States should participate with its European allies and other countries in a coordinated effort to provide the Ukrainian government with financial, economic, and technical assistance, including asset recovery, to assist a domestic economic recovery program that includes fundamental reforms and effective anti-corruption measures;
  • Calls on the United States, its European allies, and other countries and international organizations to provide assistance to ensure that new elections scheduled for May 2014 are free, fair, and in full accordance with international standards;
  • Calls on the United States and its European allies and other countries to develop a long-term strategy to support economic development in Ukraine, including enhanced relationships with Western countries, organizations and institutions;
  • Supports efforts by Ukraine to improve transparency, combat corruption, and protect individual rights through an independent judiciary and strong rule of law;
  • Affirms the right of all countries in the region to exercise their sovereign rights within their internationally recognized borders free from outside intervention and to conduct their foreign policy in accordance with their determination of the best interests of their peoples.

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