Key Takeaways:
- U.S. Congress begins legislative measure to label Russia’s activities in Ukraine as genocide.
- Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, confirms the development.
- The proposal, instigated by bipartisan group of lawmakers, underscores Russian atrocities in Ukraine align with UN’s genocide definition.
- The resolution demands international criminal inquiries and tribunals against Russia for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
- The document urges the U.S., NATO, and EU to join forces in backing the Ukrainian government in deterring further Russian aggression.
Commencing 2023 with a Bold Initiative
The start of the year saw the forwarding of the first legislative proposal related to Ukraine to the lower chamber of the 119th U.S. Congress. This bold move seeks to officially recognize the Kremlin’s actions against Ukraine as genocide, as revealed by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova.
Congress Highlights Russian Atrocities
The first week of its session saw major discussions in Congress emphasizing the crimes Russia commits daily in its war against Ukraine. Markarova reported, via Facebook, that a restated resolution requesting the acknowledgment of Russia’s actions against Ukraine as genocide was forwarded again to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In her update, the Ukrainian Ambassador also revealed that this move resulted from the synergistic interaction between the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House.
Genocidal Actions and the UN’s Definition
The preamble of the proposal acknowledges that the atrocities that Russian forces are perpetrating in Ukraine, including direct assaults on civilians, targeted attacks on maternity hospitals and other health facilities, and the coerced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, including children, to Russia and the occupied territories. These actions meet the standards outlined in Article II of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and can be legally classified as genocide.
Outlining the Responsibilities of The International Community
The main corpus of the draft resolution vehemently condemns the Russian Federation for conducting acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people. The proposal calls on the United States to collaborate with their NATO and EU allies. This collaboration seeks to proactively support the Ukrainian government in preventing further acts of Russian-perpetrated genocide against the Ukrainian people.
In addition, this critical document endorses the initiation of tribunals and international criminal inquiries aimed at holding Russia accountable for the war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
In February 2023, a draft of a similar resolution was submitted to the House. This shows that the U.S. lawmakers’ resolve to hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine has remained unwavering.
Conclusion
Despite the agenda for 2023 being in its early stages, it is clear that the U.S. Congress has Ukraine’s plight firmly in its sights. The advancement of this resolution aims at more than condemnation; it sets the stage for severe repercussions for Russia’s continuous aggression. Echoing global sentiments, it underscores the necessity for a unified global move against Russia’s unfettered assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and its people’s rights.