,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #bd1 #bjai,mr4 ,johnson 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,blunt1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,braun1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,carper1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,cotton1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 ,mrs4 ,fischer1 ,mr4 ,gardner1 ,mr4 ,graham1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4 ,jones1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,lankford1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,portman1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,mr4 ,romney1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4 ,sasse1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,thune1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,toomey1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,young1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,mr4 ,perdue1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 and ,ms4 ,murkowski7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,calling for a prompt multinational freedom of navigation operation in the ,black ,sea and urging the cancellation of the ,nord ,stream #b pipeline4 ,whereas1 in late ,february #bjad1 the ,russian ,federation invaded and illegally occupied ,ukraine's ,crimean peninsula1 in full contravention of the ,united ,nations ,charter and the ,helsinki ,final ,act1 which condemn the threat or use of force as means of altering international borders2 ,whereas the ,russian ,federation's attempted illegal annexation of ,crimea is also a direct violation of its pledges as a signatory to the #aiid ,budapest ,memorandum on ,security ,assurances to respect ,ukraine's sovereignty and existing borders and to refrain from the threat or use of force against ,ukraine2 ,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 assurances needed to give up its nuclear arsenal2 ,whereas1 on ,november #be1 #bjah1 military forces of the ,russian ,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 ,azov2 ,whereas the ,government of the ,russian ,federation still has not released the ,ukrainian crew members or returned the ,ukrainian ships that were seized illegally2 ,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 ,strait2 ,whereas1 as part of the ,russian ,federation disinformation campaign1 ,russian state media outlets spread demonstrable falsehoods1 including claims that ,ukraine was dredging the ,kerch ,strait seabed to facilitate the stationing of a ,,nato fleet1 that ,ukraine had intentionally infected the sea with cholera1 and that ,ukrainian and ,british clandestine services were conspiring to destroy the ,kerch ,strait bridge with a nuclear weapon2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has important national interests in the ,black ,sea region1 including the security of three ,,nato littoral states1 the promotion of ,european energy market diversification by ensuring unfettered ,european access to energy exporters in the ,caucuses and central ,asia1 and combating use of the region by smugglers as a conduit for trafficking in persons1 narcotics1 and arms2 ,whereas the ,nord ,stream #b pipeline is a proposed underwater natural gas pipeline project that would provide an additional #ee1jjj1jjj1jjj cubic meters of pipeline capacity from the ,russian ,federation to the ,federal ,republic of ,germany through the ,baltic ,sea2 ,whereas the ,russian ,federation's state-owned oil and gas company1 ,gazprom1 is the sole shareholder of the ,nord ,stream #b project2 ,whereas1 in #bjag1 there was spare capacity of approximately #ee1jjj1jjj1jjj cubic meters in the ,ukrainian gas transit system2 ,whereas ,gazprom cut off natural gas exports to ,europe via ,ukraine in #bjjf1 and again in #bjji1 over supply and pricing disputes with ,ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company1 ,naftogaz2 ,whereas transit of ,russian natural gas to ,europe via ,ukraine declined precipitously after the completion of ,nord ,stream #a in #bjaa1 falling from #hj percent to between #dj and #ej percent of ,russia's total exports to ,europe2 ,whereas1 in #bjag1 ,russian gas accounted for #cg percent of ,europe's natural gas imports1 an increase of #e percent over #bjaf2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ab1 #bjah1 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 #b pipeline2 and ,whereas1 on ,december #aa1 #bjah1 the ,united ,states ,house of ,representatives passed a resolution calling upon the ,european ,union to reject the ,nord ,stream #b pipeline and urging the ,president to use all available means to promote energy policies in ,europe that reduce ,european reliance on ,russian energy exports3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 calls upon the ,president to work with ,united ,states allies to promptly lead a robust multinational freedom of navigation operation in the ,black ,sea to help demonstrate support for internationally recognized borders1 bilateral agreements1 and safe passage through the ,kerch ,strait and ,sea of ,azov and to push back against excessive ,russian ,federation claims of sovereignty2 7#b7 calls upon the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization to enhance allied maritime presence and capabilities1 including maritime domain awareness and coastal defense in the ,black ,sea in order to support ,freedom of ,navigation ,operations and allied interests2 7#c7 urges the ,president to use the authority provided under section #abcd of the ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-ia2 #aca ,stat4 #afei7 to enhance the capability of the ,ukrainian military2 7#d7 urges the ,president1 through the ,departments of ,state and ,defense1 to provide additional security assistance to ,ukraine1 especially to strengthen ,ukraine's maritime capabilities1 in order to improve deterrence and defense against further ,russian aggression2 7#e7 reiterates that the ,president is required by statute to impose mandatory sanctions on the ,russian ,federation under the ,countering ,america's ,adversaries ,through ,sanctions ,act 7,public ,law #aae-dd72 7#f7 stresses that sanctions against the ,russian ,federation are a direct result of the actions of the ,government of the ,russian ,federation and will continue and increase until there is an appropriate change in ,russian behavior2 7#g7 calls upon ,united ,states allies and partners in ,europe to deny ,russian ,navy vessels access to their ports to resupply and refuel2 7#h7 notes the resolution passed by the ,house of ,representatives on ,december #aa1 #bjah1 calling on ,european governments to cancel the ,nord ,stream #b pipeline and urging the ,president to support ,european energy security through a policy of reducing reliance on the ,russian ,federation2 7#i7 applauds and concurs with the ,european ,parliament's ,december #ab1 #bjah1 resolution condemning ,russian aggression in the ,kerch ,strait and the ,nord ,stream #b pipeline1 calling for the pipeline's cancellation due to its threat to ,european energy security1 and calling on the ,russian ,federation to guarantee freedom of navigation in the ,kerch ,strait2 and 7#aj7 urges the ,president to continue working with ,congress and our allies to ensure the appropriate policies to deter the ,russian ,federation from further aggression4