February 24, 2025
Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. Keating, and Mr. Bacon) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Recognizing three years of Ukraine defending its sovereign territory against the Russian Federation’s second unprovoked assault and full-scale invasion.
Whereas, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched its second unprovoked assault and full-scale invasion against Ukraine;
Whereas, for three years, the people of Ukraine have withstood this full-scale invasion with extraordinary resilience, despite facing a military and economy twice the size of its own, confronting foreign troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and being targeted with weapons provided by the Islamic Republic of Iran and the People’s Republic of China;
Whereas the Russian Federation has orchestrated a brutal war of attrition, seeking to undermine Ukrainian morale by using sexual assault and rape as a weapon of war, forced deportation of Ukranian children, targeting energy infrastructure in harsh winter conditions, using chemical weapons against Ukrainians, shelling residential areas, including schools and hospitals, and using vile war tactics to maim the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians;
Whereas, despite the Russian Federation’s efforts to destroy Ukraine, the Ukrainian people are rebuilding infrastructure that was leveled by Russian missiles, adapting swiftly and tactfully to stay ahead of changing battlefield dynamics, have successfully targeted Russian military assets that provided weapons used against Ukraine, have held territory inside of Russia, and continue to fight heroically for their country’s sovereignty and right to exist as an independent nation;
Whereas the Ukrainian military has recaptured thousands of miles of territory since the war began;
Whereas the Kursk offensive was a remarkable demonstration of combined arms maneuver, effective use of the information and intelligence space in a nearly transparent battlefield, and successful electronic warfare to degrade Russian forces’ intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance capabilities;
Whereas, despite the mobilization of North Korean soldiers inside Kursk and the use of Iranian-supplied weapons, Ukrainian soldiers continue to defend their territory and have applied lessons learned in counter-drone operations, electronic warfare, mobility support, and tank-infantry integration;
Whereas Ukraine has eliminated nearly 3,689 Russian tanks, thousands of armored combat vehicles, 5 ships, and 458 smaller craft;
Whereas Ukraine’s soldiers, volunteers, and wartime industrial base have offered the United States valuable insights on producing strategic outputs quickly and effectively to respond to changing battlefield dynamics;
Whereas the people of Ukraine have continued to work toward reforms to strengthen their democratic governance and improve their economy; and
Whereas the people of Ukraine will continue to fight against the Russian Federation’s war against their country, including by pursuing their goals and ambitions while honoring Ukrainian history and culture: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
stands unequivocally with the people of Ukraine as they continue to defend their people and territory in the third year of the Russian Federation’s unprovoked full-scale invasion against Ukraine;
(2)
condemns the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine and its subsequent collaboration with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the People’s Republic of China to conduct crimes against humanity including by providing soldiers and weapons to use against the Ukrainian people;
(3)
supports the continued collaboration among key allies and partners of the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s military, governance, and economy;
(4)
supports using Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine’s wartime needs and the continued application of sanctions against the Russian Federation and adversaries of the United States who have provided material and personnel support; and
(5)
reaffirms the United States commitment to the Ukrainian people as they fight to preserve their territory, culture, and history from the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the People’s Republic of China.