Ukraine Support Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize as we stand here today in the midst of a war with Iran, as the President is trying to secure an agreement that would require them not to pursue nuclear weapons, that the United States already has a commitment in an agreement with the then-third largest nuclear power, Ukraine.

In the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to relinquish all of their nuclear assets and move away from their nuclear ambition in exchange for an agreement with the United States that we would be there, be there to defend them in the case of aggression and actions by another country.

That day has come, and we are going to honor our future agreements. If we do that, we must certainly honor this agreement. We have to look at the agreements we are already committed to.

Russia's illegal aggression has been accompanied by mass killings, kidnapping and displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children, serial rapes by Russian soldiers, and the targeting of innocent civilians.

These are war crimes, and the war crimes alone command our full support for Ukraine's defense. At the same time, Russia's illegal aggression represents a direct threat to our NATO allies, particularly the Baltic States.

Before the full-scale invasion, Russia made their ambitions crystal clear that the Baltic States were a target and that NATO sovereignty was at stake, as well.

It is important to realize that, in Ukraine, we don't share that commitment alone. Europe as a whole has given $226 billion in assistance. That is 25 percent more than the $174 billion that the United States has appropriated.

European countries continue to increase support, while the Trump administration lessens American support. However, we know that the future cost of NATO conflicts is far greater in dollars and in lives, and we know we have to support Ukraine to make sure that we are not falling into that greater cost.

Our commitment to Ukraine remains our best defense economically and in terms of our national security as well as for our shared democratic values.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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