Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act of 2022

Short title— This Act may be cited as the “Never Yielding Europe’s Territory (NYET) Act of 2022”.

Table of contents— The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

Defense article; defense service— The terms defense article and defense service have the meanings given those terms in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794).

it is in the national security interests of the United States—

aggression and malign influence by the Government of the Russian Federation and its proxies in Ukraine are a threat to the democratic sovereignty of Ukraine and the lives and livelihoods of its people;

the increase in Russian Federation troops, armor, artillery, and associated military equipment on Ukraine’s border that began in October 2021—

the United States, in coordination with the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and members of the international community, should—

any concession made by the United States and NATO to the demands of the Government of the Russian Federation regarding NATO membership or expansion is antithetical to the North Atlantic Treaty and the commitments at the core of the liberal democratic order;

economic and financial sanctions, when used as part of a coordinated and comprehensive strategy, are a powerful tool to advance United States foreign policy and national security interests; and

the United States, in coordination with allies and partners of the United States, should impose substantial new sanctions in response to each act of aggression by the Government of the Russian Federation or its proxies, and to their full extent in the event of escalatory military operations or other destabilizing aggression against Ukraine.

to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine and other countries against aggression by the Government of the Russian Federation or its proxies;

to ensure the swift and ongoing provision to Ukraine of lethal and nonlethal security assistance, including surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, anti-ship missiles, and anti-tank capabilities, on an expedited basis through the Foreign Military Financing program, loan programs, excess defense articles, and the lending or leasing of military equipment;

to build the resilience of Ukraine’s military defenses and bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend against aggression by the Government of the Russian Federation by increasing International Military Education Training, improving interoperability with NATO forces, and engaging in critical areas, including air, sea, and cyber defense;

to declassify or downgrade United States intelligence on Russian malign activities in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic and Black Sea nations, kinetic or non-kinetic, to the maximum extent possible, and to enable and encourage dissemination of this information to United States allies and partners and to the American public;

to support efforts to improve Ukraine’s cybersecurity capacity and strengthen its ability to detect, investigate, disrupt, and deter cyberattacks by strengthening cybersecurity policy, enhancing technical infrastructure, supporting cybersecurity education and training, and helping Ukraine engage with international cybersecurity frameworks and organizations;

to counter Russian propaganda and disinformation about Ukraine and support unrestricted, independent news and reporting for audiences on the periphery of the Russian Federation, including by increasing support for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty;

to further enhance security cooperation and engagement with regional partners, including those in the Black Sea region and the Baltic States, to strengthen Ukrainian and regional security;

to work closely with NATO allies, particularly allies that share a border with the Russian Federation, on any matters related to European security;

to reduce the dependence of allies and partners of the United States on energy resources that originate in the Russian Federation in order for such countries to achieve lasting and dependable energy security, including by increasing access to diverse, reliable, and affordable energy;

to condemn the Government of the Russian Federation for, and to deter such government from, using its energy resources as a geopolitical weapon to coerce, intimidate, and influence other countries;

to formulate a rapid and comprehensive response to any humanitarian crisis inflicted upon the people of Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression, including mechanisms for emergency response, observation and monitoring of abuses, and justice and accountability, including through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and

to remain committed to a strong and unified NATO and to not cede to the demands of the Government of the Russian Federation regarding NATO force posture and membership.

to protect United States domestic fisheries and seafood producers by addressing the unrestricted importation of seafood products to the United States from the Russian Federation, while an embargo currently prohibits the importation of food and agricultural products from the United States and its allies to the Russian Federation; and

to utilize existing authorities to prohibit the importation into the United States from the Russian Federation of any seafood of Russian origin until the Government of the Russian Federation has terminated its prohibition on the importation of seafood products from the United States.