WHEREAS, Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 and has remained a sovereign state ever since; and

WHEREAS, The Ukrainian people have repeatedly affirmed their commitment to a free and democratic Ukraine; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, the Ukrainian people engaged in mass protests against electoral fraud and corruption in an event known as the Orange Revolution; and

WHEREAS, In 2014, the people of Ukraine again engaged in mass protests and civil disobedience when, under pressure from Russia, the Ukrainian government suspended negotiations for greater economic cooperation with the European Union. The event is known as Maidan or the Revolution of Dignity; and

WHEREAS, Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, invaded Ukraine on February 22, 2022, without provocation; and

WHEREAS, Since 2014, Russia has supported separatist forces in the Donbas and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine; and

WHEREAS, The invasion of Ukraine is part of an established pattern of Russian aggression toward its neighbors since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. Such aggression includes the first and second Chechen Wars, from 1994 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2000, respectively. This also includes Russias invasion of Georgia in 2008. Finally, Russian aggression was most recently demonstrated through the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014; and

WHEREAS, The G7 referred to Putins invasion as as serious threat to the rules-based international order, with ramifications well beyond Europe; and

WHEREAS, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, condemned Russias invasion and called the potential consequences devastating; and

WHEREAS, The notion of sovereignty includes the ability to join international organizations such as NATO or the European Union on their own accord; and

WHEREAS, The greater Sacramento region is home to more than 100,000 Slavic immigrants, many of whom are Ukrainian and have family still residing in Ukraine; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly condemns Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, for the invasion of Ukraine, which is a fundamental threat to democracy and the future of freedom; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate resolution.

HR 93

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