Blog: The Scoop: Standing With Ukraine

Statement

Congress is moving forward with support for Ukraine and authorization for additional sanctions responding to Russian aggression.

The progress on passing this legislation was slower than I would have liked. Quick passage would have sent a strong, unified message to Russia that there will be consequences for intruding on sovereign land.

Unfortunately, the bill was unnecessarily delayed over a controversial measure that would have restructured U.S. contributions to the International Monetary Fund.

The Majority Leader ultimately relented and stripped out the controversial language, leading to unanimous Senate passage of the underlying package. The House of Representatives passed a similar measure, and final resolution is expected this week.

The Senate measure condemns Russian military intervention in Ukraine and reaffirms the U.S. commitment under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which secures the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and borders of Ukraine.

The measure enhances and extends U.S. security cooperation with central and Eastern Europe, including North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and NATO aspirants.

It includes authorizing the Secretary of State to help Ukraine in identifying and recovering assets linked to corruption. It authorizes funding for improved democratic governance, transparency, accountability, rule of law, anti-corruption efforts and free, fair elections in Ukraine. It also authorizes measures for enhanced security cooperation among the United States, European Union, and countries in central and Eastern Europe. And it directs the President to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for abuses in Ukraine and encourages the same for individuals responsible for corruption in Russia.

Russia has violated Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence with its illegal annexation of Crimea. The United States should help Ukraine and other allies protect against the use of force that threatens the independence of sovereign nations.

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