,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aii ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #a1 #bjbe,mr4 ,coons 7for himself and ,mr4 ,tillis7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,expressing support and appreciation for the efforts of the ,republic of ,romania and the ,republic of ,moldova to defend democracy and combat malign ,russian interference4 ,whereas the ,republic of ,romania and the ,republic of ,moldova are committed to supporting democracy1 the rule of law1 and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in eastern ,europe2 ,whereas1 in #bjbd1 the ,government of the ,russian ,federation attempted to undermine the democratic systems1 economic prosperity1 and energy security of ,romania and ,moldova as part of a wider campaign to expand its malign influence and promote broader instability across ,europe and the world2 ,whereas1 despite growing pressure from ,russian leaders1 the people and institutions of ,romania and ,moldova remain committed to supporting democratic values and combating the effects of malign ,russian pressure campaigns in eastern ,europe2 ,whereas ,romania-- 7#a7 is a crucial leader of the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7referred to in this preamble as ,,nato71 has made significant investments in military infrastructure and capabilities in order to protect ,,nato's eastern flank1 and spent #b4b percent of its gross domestic product on defense spending during #bjbd1 which surpasses the requirement set forth in the ,wales ,summit ,declaration of #bjad2 7#b7 is a vital member of the ,european ,union that has led efforts to support the entry of other eastern ,european countries into ,,nato1 including ,moldova2 7#c7 has the energy resources to help counter ,russia's weaponization of energy supplies1 including natural gas1 against ,europe2 and 7#d7 has provided critical support to ,ukraine since ,russia's unprovoked1 full-scale war of aggression began on ,february #bd1 #bjbb1 including by providing energy1 economic1 humanitarian1 and military assistance to ,ukraine and facilitating the transit of ,ukrainian grain across the ,black ,sea2 ,whereas ,romania's commitment to robust transatlantic relations and leadership within ,,nato have made it a target for ,russian interference1 including during ,romania's presidential election on ,november #bd1 #bjbd1 which was targeted by a digital campaign backed by a state actor intended to influence the results of the election2 ,whereas this digital campaign attempted to manipulate the election in favor of candidates who supported ,russian ,president ,vladimir ,putin1 were critical of ,,nato1 and were critical of ,romanian assistance to ,ukraine2 ,whereas ,romania has scheduled a new presidential election to take place in ,may #bjbe2 ,whereas ,moldova-- 7#a7 has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to strengthening its democracy and deepening its ,european integration2 7#b7 applied for ,european ,union membership in ,march #bjbb1 was granted candidate status in ,june #bjbb1 and began accession negotiations in ,june #bjbd2 7#c7 codified its commitment to joining the ,european ,union in ,october #bjbd through a ,constitutional ,referendum2 7#d7 has made tremendous strides in its efforts to join the ,european ,union by #bjce1 including ongoing efforts to ensure its laws1 institutions1 and regulations comply with ,european ,union accession standards and regulations2 and 7#e7 has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to the ,ukrainian people following ,russia's unprovoked invasion of ,ukraine on ,february #bd1 #bjbb2 ,whereas ,moldova's democratic and pro-,european ,union aspirations have made it a target for ,russian interference1 including-- 7#a7 ,russia's weaponization of energy supplies against ,moldova by halting the flow of natural gas to ,transnistria1 where ,moldova's main electricity power plant is located1 causing serious consequences for ,moldovans1 including blackouts and a dramatic increase in the cost of energy in the winter months of #bjbe2 and 7#b7 ,russia's efforts to influence ,moldova's #bjbd elections1 including its presidential election and ,european ,union constitutional referendum1 in favor of pro-,russia1 anti-,european ,union candidates and platforms1 including through-- 7,a7 fake bomb threats against polling stations abroad and preparations to instigate violent demonstrations2 7,b7 explicit vote-buying campaigns2 and 7,c7 cyber operations against government and private-sector targets1 including ,moldova's ,central ,electoral ,commission2 ,whereas ,moldova's parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place after the current parliament's term ends in ,july #bjbe2 and ,whereas international efforts to support ,moldova's democracy and address the impacts of ,russia's weaponization of natural gas must increase in order to counter ,russian interference ahead of the #bjbe parliamentary elections3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses robust support and appreciation for the efforts of the ,governments of ,romania and of ,moldova and their people as they work to strengthen state sovereignty and democracy in eastern ,europe1 despite tremendous pressure from ,russia2 7#b7 applauds the partnership between ,romania and ,moldova in the energy sector as a model of reducing reliance on the use of ,russian energy exports2 7#c7 expresses support for ,romania's critical role within the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization and the ,european ,union2 7#d7 expresses support for ,moldova's aspirations to join the ,european ,union2 7#e7 condemns ,russian efforts to pressure1 coerce1 or otherwise manipulate democratic sovereign states1 including ,romania and ,moldova2 7#f7 urges the international community1 including the ,european ,union1 to increase their support for ,romania and ,moldova's democracies in advance of their respective elections in #bjbe1 including by-- 7,a7 releasing the full ,european ,commission report detailing the extent of ,russian interference in the #bjbd ,romanian presidential election1 including through ,tik,tok2 and 7,b7 administering appropriate disciplinary action and best practices for combating such interference in future elections2 and 7#g7 urges the ,united ,states ,government-- 7,a7 to strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagements with ,romania and ,moldova in support of democracy and state sovereignty in eastern ,europe2 and 7,b7 to strengthen support for ,romanian and ,moldovan security and election integrity in advance of presidential elections and parliamentary elections set to be held in ,may and ,september1 respectively4