New Mexico HM 55: SUPPORT UKRAINE

Bill Text

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A MEMORIAL
SUPPORTING UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
WHEREAS, the post-war international security order, led
by the North Atlantic treaty organization, relied upon
diplomacy, peace and communication rather than armed conflict
to ensure prosperity and stability for more than seventy
years; and
WHEREAS, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the
Ukrainian people voted overwhelmingly to form a nation
independent from Russia and built a thriving democratic
country grounded in the rule of law; and
WHEREAS, more than thirty years ago, Ukraine declared
its independence, and in 1994, the United States, the Russian
Federation and the United Kingdom signed an agreement whereby
each country pledged to respect the independence and
sovereignty of Ukraine's borders in return for its nuclear
disarmament; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, the pro-western Euromaidan protest
movement in Ukraine led to the resignation of authoritarian
president Victor Yanukovych, a brutal ally of Russian
president Vladimir Putin, and ushered in democratically
elected leaders who have sought closer ties to the United
States, the European Union and Great Britain; and
WHEREAS, Ukraine is recognized as a peaceful and

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honorable democratic republic that is governed by
democratically elected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal; and
WHEREAS, in order to manufacture a pretext to invade and
occupy Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and his surrogates lied to the
people of Russia and the global community, falsely claiming
that Ukraine posed a threat to Russians and that he was
launching a crusade against "Ukrainian Nazis"; and
WHEREAS, on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin launched
an unjust, unwarranted and unprovoked full-scale war of
choice and aggression upon the peaceful nation of Ukraine;
and
WHEREAS, the Russian Federation violated international
peace and security agreements that provided peaceful
alternatives; and
WHEREAS, since February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers and
surrogates have brutally inflicted violence and terror upon
Ukrainian civilians of every age, including children and the
elderly, and committed atrocities throughout Ukraine; and
WHEREAS, since February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers and
surrogates have cruelly killed Ukrainian citizens' pets,
domestic animals and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, since February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers and
surrogates have attacked Ukrainian farms, environment,
cultural institutions, religious sites and heritage; and

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WHEREAS, since February 24, 2022, Russia has used
targeted and indiscriminate aerial strikes to destroy
residential structures, hospitals, schools, businesses and
critical infrastructure that supports life, including water
systems and energy grids, plants and pipelines; and
WHEREAS, Russia has attacked and damaged nuclear power
facilities in Ukraine, captured and tortured workers from the
facilities and subjected Ukraine and its neighbors to risks
of radioactive releases; and
WHEREAS, as Russia's military struggled on the
battlefield, Putin resorted to relying on the brutal PMC
Wagner group to inflict his war of aggression and choice; and
WHEREAS, the PMC Wagner group is a Russian mercenary
organization that was founded and is led by a Russian
oligarch with close ties to Putin; and
WHEREAS, the PMC Wagner group has been designated as a
significant transnational criminal organization pursuant to
United States executive orders and by the United States
department of the treasury; and
WHEREAS, Russian soldiers and the PMC Wagner group are
credibly alleged to have committed violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law by targeting children, the
elderly, women and civilians through acts of cruel violence,
torture, rape, abduction and forced mass displacement of
Ukrainian children in Russian filtration camps to erase their

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Ukrainian identity and place them with Russian citizens; and
WHEREAS, Russia's war on Ukraine has severely disrupted
Ukrainian and international economies, resources, food
supplies and environments; and
WHEREAS, the brutality of Russia's war on Ukraine is an
affront to international law, decency and humanity; and
WHEREAS, a threat to the sovereign borders of Ukraine is
a threat to all western democracies; and
WHEREAS, Ukraine has been a bulwark against Russian
military aggression in Europe and the world; and
WHEREAS, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
the United States and the international community have
imposed sanctions on Russia and provided Ukraine with
equipment and resources it needs to defend its territory and
people; and
WHEREAS, the leaders, military and citizens of Ukraine
continue to valiantly stand up and fight against