Hundreds of armed Russian troops surround a Ukrainian military base in Crimea.
The House of Representatives is working on legislation that represents the official policy position of the United States, which among other things condemn the armed intervention of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
The legislation is called the Ukraine Support Act H.R. 4278 and it will almost certainly pass the House of Representatives.
According to the Congressional Record:
“It is the policy of the United States-
(1) to support the right of the people of Ukraine to freely determine their future, including their country’s relationship with other nations and international organizations, without interference, intimidation, or coercion by other countries;
(2) to support the people of Ukraine in their desire to address endemic corruption, consolidate democracy, and achieve sustained prosperity;
(3) to support the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to bring to justice those responsible for the acts of violence against peaceful protestors and other unprovoked acts of violence related to the anti-government protests that began on November 21, 2013;
(4) to support the efforts of the Government of Ukraine to identify, investigate, recover, and return to the Ukrainian state assets unaccounted for under the leadership and departure from Ukraine of former President Yanukovych, his family, and other current and former members of the Ukrainian government, along with others legitimately charged by government authorities with similar offenses;
(5) to assist the Government of Ukraine in preparations for the presidential election scheduled for May 25, 2014, and to participate in efforts to ensure that this election is conducted in accordance with international standards;
(6) to promote democratic values, transparent and accountable government institutions, and advance United States national security interests through United States international broadcasting, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Incorporated;
(7) to support needed economic structural reforms in Ukraine, including in the fiscal, energy, pension, and banking sectors, among others;
(8) to support energy diversification initiatives to reduce Russian control of energy supplies to Ukraine and other European countries, including United States promotion of increased natural gas exports to, and energy efficiency in, Ukraine, which could be enhanced by advances in new energy technologies;
(9) to condemn the armed intervention of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, including its continuing political, economic, and military aggression against that country;
(10) to work with United States allies and partners in Europe and around the world, including at the United Nations, to ensure that all nations refuse to recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and reaffirm the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine;
(11) to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the illegal referendum in Crimea on March 16, 2014, on the status of that region of Ukraine, which was held under conditions of occupation and coercion by Russian forces;
(12) to support the deployment of international monitors to Ukraine to assess the current status of its territorial integrity and the safety of all people in Ukraine;
(13) to encourage the Government of Ukraine to continue to respect and protect the rights of all ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities;
(14) to encourage the Government of Ukraine to promote and protect the human rights, as recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of all individuals as they seek freedom, democracy, and equality under the law;
(15) to work with United States allies and partners to condemn any violation by Russian Federation occupation forces or their proxies of the rights of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities in Crimea, including the region’s Tatar population;
(16) to call on all Ukrainians to respect the legitimate government authorities, as well as all Ukrainian laws and the Constitution of Ukraine in all regions of Ukraine, including Crimea;
(17) to maintain existing sanctions against and consider all available options for further sanctions on the Russian Federation until Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are not being violated by the Russian Federation; and
(18) to honor and abide by its commitments undertaken pursuant to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed at Washington, District of Columbia, on April 4, 1949, and entered into force on August 24, 1949.”