Calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea and urging the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 116 Calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea and urging the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 8, 2019 Mr. CONAWAY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Fi- nancial Services, Oversight and Reform, the Judiciary, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic- tion of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the Black Sea and urging the cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Whereas, in late February 2014, the Russian Federation in- vaded and illegally occupied Ukraine’s Crimean penin- sula, in full contravention of the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, which condemn the threat or use of force as means of altering international borders; Whereas the Russian Federation’s attempted illegal annex- ation of Crimea is also a direct violation of its pledges as a signatory to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 116 IH existing borders and to refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine; Whereas the inclusion of the United States and the United Kingdom as signatories to the Budapest Memorandum was essential in order to provide Ukraine the security as- surances needed to give up its nuclear arsenal; Whereas, on November 25, 2018, military forces of the Rus- sian Federation attacked and seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels and their crews as they attempted to transit the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov; Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation still has not released the Ukrainian crew members or returned the Ukrainian ships that were seized illegally; Whereas European Commissioner Julian King stated that the Government of the Russian Federation launched a disinformation campaign over a year ago designed to paint Ukraine and NATO as provocateurs in the Kerch Strait; Whereas, as part of the Russian Federation disinformation campaign, Russian state media outlets spread demon- strable falsehoods, including claims that Ukraine was dredging the Kerch Strait seabed to facilitate the sta- tioning of a NATO fleet, that Ukraine had intentionally infected the sea with cholera, and that Ukrainian and British clandestine services were conspiring to destroy the Kerch Strait bridge with a nuclear weapon; Whereas the United States has important national interests in the Black Sea region, including the security of three NATO littoral states, the promotion of European energy market diversification by ensuring unfettered European VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 116 IH access to energy exporters in the Caucuses and central Asia, and combating use of the region by smugglers as a conduit for trafficking in persons, narcotics, and arms; Whereas the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a proposed under- water natural gas pipeline project that would provide an additional 55,000,000,000 cubic meters of pipeline capac- ity from the Russian Federation to the Federal Republic of Germany through the Baltic Sea; Whereas the Russian Federation’s state-owned oil and gas company, Gazprom, is the sole shareholder of the Nord Stream 2 project; Whereas, in 2017, there was spare capacity of approximately 55,000,000,000 cubic meters in the Ukrainian gas transit system; Whereas Gazprom cut off natural gas exports to Europe via Ukraine in 2006, and again in 2009, over supply and pricing disputes with Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, Naftogaz; Whereas transit of Russian natural gas to Europe via Ukraine declined precipitously after the completion of Nord Stream 1 in 2011, falling from 80 percent to be- tween 40 and 50 percent of Russia’s total exports to Eu- rope; Whereas, in 2017, Russian gas accounted for 37 percent of Europe’s natural gas imports, an increase of 5 percent over 2016; Whereas, on December 12, 2018, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning both the Russian Federation’s aggression in the Kerch Strait and the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 116 IH Whereas, on December 11, 2018, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution calling upon the Eu- ropean Union to reject the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and urging the President to use all available means to pro- mote energy policies in Europe that reduce European re- liance on Russian energy exports: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) calls upon the President to work with 2 United States allies to promptly lead a robust multi- 3 national freedom of navigation operation in the 4 Black Sea to help demonstrate support for inter- 5 nationally recognized borders, bilateral agreements, 6 and safe passage through the Kerch Strait and Sea 7 of Azov and to push back against excessive Russian 8 Federation claims of sovereignty; 9 (2) calls upon the North Atlantic Treaty Orga- 10 nization to enhance allied maritime presence and ca- 11 pabilities, including maritime domain awareness and 12 coastal defense in the Black Sea in order to support 13 Freedom of Navigation Operations and allied inter- 14 ests; 15 (3) urges the President to use the authority 16 provided under section 1234 of the National Defense 17 Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 18 115–91; 131 Stat. 1659) to enhance the capability 19 of the Ukrainian military; 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HRES 116 IH (4) urges the President, through the Depart- 1 ments of State and Defense, to provide additional 2 security assistance to Ukraine, especially to 3 strengthen Ukraine’s maritime capabilities, in order 4 to improve deterrence and defense against further 5 Russian aggression; 6 (5) reiterates that the President is required by 7 statute to impose mandatory sanctions on the Rus- 8 sian Federation under the Countering America’s Ad- 9 versaries Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115– 10 44); 11 (6) stresses that sanctions against the Russian 12 Federation are a direct result of the actions of the 13 Government of the Russian Federation and will con- 14 tinue and increase until there is an appropriate 15 change in Russian behavior; 16 (7) calls upon United States allies and partners 17 in Europe to deny Russian Navy vessels access to 18 their ports to resupply and refuel; 19 (8) notes the resolution passed by the House of 20 Representatives on December 11, 2018, calling on 21 European governments to cancel the Nord Stream 2 22 pipeline and urging the President to support Euro- 23 pean energy security through a policy of reducing re- 24 liance on the Russian Federation; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HRES 116 IH (9) applauds and concurs with the European 1 Parliament’s December 12, 2018, resolution con- 2 demning Russian aggression in the Kerch Strait and 3 the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, calling for the pipeline’s 4 cancellation due to its threat to European energy se- 5 curity, and calling on the Russian Federation to 6 guarantee freedom of navigation in the Kerch Strait; 7 and 8 (10) urges the President to continue working 9 with Congress and our allies to ensure the appro- 10 priate policies to deter the Russian Federation from 11 further aggression. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:53 Feb 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR116.IH HR116 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS