Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the independence of Ukraine from the former Soviet Union.

recognizes the courage and resolve shown by the Ukrainian people in their pursuit of sovereignty and democracy;

remembers the Euromaidan demonstrations of November 2013 as a major step forward in the journey of Ukraine toward democracy;

condemns the illegal military invasion and occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014 and the violence fomented by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine, two active conflicts that continue in 2021;

affirms the Crimea Declaration issued and announced by the Department of State on July 24, 2018, which rejects the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and pledges to maintain that position until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored;

applauds the progress that the Government of Ukraine has made in aligning with Euro-Atlantic norms and standards and improving military combat readiness and interoperability with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization;

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 unwavering commitment of the United States Government to support the continuing efforts of the Government of Ukraine to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity by providing consistent political and diplomatic support and additional lethal and non-lethal security assistance to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine on land and sea and in the air;

condemns the ongoing malign activities carried out by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and continues to call upon the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately cease all activity that seeks to undermine Ukraine and destabilize Europe;

calls upon the United States Government and its international allies and partners to increase sanctions pressure against the Russian Federation until the Russian Federation upholds its international obligations to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including obligations under the Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, signed at Budapest December 5, 1994, and the Minsk agreements agreed to in 2014 and 2015;

congratulates the people of Ukraine on the announcement on January 6, 2019, of autocephaly for an independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which marked an important milestone in Ukraine’s pursuit of its own future free from Kremlin influence;

celebrates 3 decades of Ukrainian independence and the strong partnership between the peoples and governments of the United States and Ukraine; and

welcomes the September 1, 2021, visit to Washington, DC, by President of Ukraine Volody­myr Oleksandrovych Zelensky at the invitation of President Joseph R. Biden to further deepen the bonds between the United States and Ukraine.