TROUBLING UKRAINE BILLS PASSED IN CONGRESS

BY BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE

WHICH SUPPORT UKRAINIAN ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA

WORLD FUTURE FUND NOTE:

The U.S. House and Senate Ukraine bills state that they support the efforts of Ukrainian president Poroshenko, as well as the Ukrainian people to create a lasting peace. However, some of the language in these bills could prevent such a peace from taking place.

On March 23rd, 2015, the House of Representatives just voted 348-48 to arm Ukraine against Russia. Russia has warned that lethal aid will "explode the whole situation."

Yet there has also been other bills passed as well that also contain troubling legislation. We have included these bills below. Some of these bills also contain economic sanctions.

However, the problem with these bills is that they ignore the large population of ethnically Russian minorities who live on Ukraine's eastern border, and that in Crimea the Russians are actually an ethnic majority. The likelihood of Russia returning Crimea to Ukraine is close to nil. Especially considering that 90% of Crimeans voted to join Russia, and that Crimea contains Russia's only warm water naval base: The Naval Base at Sevastopol. Without this base, Russia would have no way of extending force through The Mediterranean. Without Crimea, Russia would be severely crippled as a military power. Is Russia going to let this happen? Probably not. Putting forth a bill that demands a reversal of the Crimea annexation will only serve to further hostilities between the U.S. and Russia, not create peace.

We at World Future Fund support a lasting peace in Ukraine, and we believe that it is important to understand the complicated geopolitical and historical realities involved in the situation. Ukraine itself is a state with artificial borders. Much of these borders were decided by the German occupation in World War I and the Soviet Union. So this is not a simple case of one nation versus another. This is a situation where many of Ukraine's ethnic Russians feel that they are being oppressed by Ukraine's Nationalists. So in this situation, we can't ignore the voice of Ukraine's ethnic Russians. When one group feels like they are being ignored and oppressed, this usually leads to violence.

At World Future Fund, we have provided a peaceful and democratic solution that would be beneficial to both the Ukrainian and Russian people. We believe that an International Plebiscite should be mobilized to help the Ukrainian and Russian people decide their own future. If the United States truly supports peace and democracy, why not use these things to solve Ukraine's crisis?

Since Russia has economic ties all over the world, including with the United States and our partners in Europe, imposing sanctions upon Russia would not only be harmful to the Russian economy, but these sanctions also have the potential to damage the global economy as well. We also believe that the language of both the House and Senate bill will do more to enrage Russia and Ukraine's ethnic Russians, rather than cause peace.

So give peace and democracy a chance. Read our report: Give Peace and Democracy a Chance in Ukraine.

Read more information about the House and Senate Ukraine bills below.

H.RES.162 - HOUSE BILL TO ARM UKRAINE, PASSED 3/26/15

Bill Text and Summary

Final Vote Results: Yeas and Nays

US House votes to provide lethal aid to Ukraine (DW, 3-24-15)

S.2828 - SENATE UKRAINE FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT OF 2014, PASSED 12/11/14

Bill Text (There is no record of individual votes, because there was a voice vote)

Senate passes Russian sanctions bill (The Hill, 12-11-14)

H. RES. 758 - HOUSE BILL CONDEMNING THE ACTIONS OF RUSSIA, PASSED 12/4/14

Bill Text

Final Vote Results: Yeas and Nays