That the Senate—
remembers the courage and resolve shown by the Ukrainian people in the Revolution of Dignity;
solemnly honors the “Heavenly Hundred” who were killed during the Revolution of Dignity while fighting for the causes of freedom and democracy in Ukraine;
applauds the progress that the Government of Ukraine has made since the Revolution of Dignity in strengthening the rule of law, aligning itself with Euro-Atlantic norms and standards, and improving military combat readiness and interoperability with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO);
encourages the Government of Ukraine to continue implementing crucial reforms to fight corruption, build strong and free markets, and strengthen democracy and the rule of law;
affirms the United States Government's unwavering commitment to supporting the continuing efforts of the Government of Ukraine to implement democratic and free market reforms, restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, as well as providing additional lethal and non-lethal security assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities on land, sea, and in the air in order to improve deterrence against Russian aggression;
condemns the Russian Federation’s ongoing malign activities against Ukraine and renews its call on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately cease all activity that seeks to undermine Ukraine and destabilize the European continent;
declares that nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization for the use of military force;
reiterates its strong condemnation of the provocative actions and unjustified use of military force by the Government of the Russian Federation in the Kerch Strait against the Ukrainian Navy on November 25, 2018, as a blatant violation of the Russian Federation’s commitments under international law and the 2003 Treaty Between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on Cooperation in the Use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait;
expresses its support to all Ukrainian political prisoners convicted on fabricated charges and incarcerated by Russian or Russian-controlled authorities, including the Ukrainian sailors seized in the November 25, 2018, attack near the Kerch Strait who are due treatment under the 1949 Geneva Conventions and have been illegally kept in detention in the territory of the Russian Federation, while renewing its strong call on the Kremlin to immediately release these Ukrainian citizens;
affirms the Department of State’s Crimea Declaration, announced on July 25, 2018, that rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored;
believes that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline poses a major threat to European security, seeks to further undermine Ukraine’s economic stability, and threatens to increase the country’s vulnerability to further Russian military incursions;
calls upon the United States Government, as well as its international allies and partners, to maintain a strong sanctions regime against the Russian Federation until it upholds its international obligations towards Ukraine, including the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and the Minsk Agreements;
congratulates the people of Ukraine on the announcement on January 6, 2019, of autocephaly for an independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which has marked an important milestone in Ukraine’s pursuit of its own future free from Russian influence;
congratulates the people of Ukraine on the successful conclusion of free and fair presidential elections in the spring of 2019, and on the inauguration of the new President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky;
believes that the strengthening of Ukraine’s democracy over the past five years, most visibly displayed in the conduct of the country’s recent presidential election and peaceful transition of power, should serve as a positive example to other post-Soviet countries; and
looks forward to the peaceful, free, and fair conduct of Ukraine’s upcoming parliamentary elections.