ACR115

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN

District 19 (Middlesex)

Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO

District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)

Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Atkins, Auth, Barranco, Benson, Bergen, Calabrese, Caputo, Assemblywoman Carter, Assemblyman Catalano, Assemblywoman Chaparro, Assemblymen Clifton, Conaway, Dancer, Danielsen, DeAngelo, Assemblywoman DeFuccio, Assemblyman DePhillips, Assemblywoman Dunn, Assemblyman Egan, Assemblywomen Eulner, Flynn, Assemblymen Freiman, Giblin, Assemblywoman Gove, Assemblymen Greenwald, Guardian, Assemblywomen Haider, Jaffer, Jasey, Jimenez, Assemblymen Karabinchak, S.Kean, Kennedy, Assemblywomen Lampitt, Lopez, Matsikoudis, McCarthy Patrick, Assemblymen McClellan, McGuckin, McKeon, Assemblywoman McKnight, Assemblymen Mejia, Moen, Moriarty, Assemblywoman Mosquera, Assemblyman Mukherji, Assemblywomen N.Munoz, Murphy, Park, Assemblyman Peterson, Assemblywomen Pintor Marin, Piperno, Quijano, Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblymen Rooney, Rumpf, Sampson, Assemblywoman Sawyer, Assemblymen Schaer, Scharfenberger, Simonsen, Space, Spearman, Assemblywoman Speight, Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywomen Sumter, Swain, Swift, Assemblyman Thomson, Assemblywoman Timberlake, Assemblyman Torrissi, Assemblywoman Tucker, Assemblymen Tully, Umba, Verrelli, Webber, Wimberly, Wirths, Senators Zwicker, Connors, Thompson, O'Scanlon, Testa, Oroho, Beach, Diegnan, Gill, Johnson, Madden, Codey, Greenstein, Bramnick, Pou and Lagana

SYNOPSIS

Condemns Russian invasion of Ukraine and supports Ukraine’s government and citizens.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

A Concurrent Resolution condemning Russia and supporting Ukraine’s government and citizens.

Whereas, Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the citizens of Ukraine voted in a national referendum in support of independence; and

Whereas, In 1994, in response to the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom recognized and pledged to respect the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine’s borders; and

Whereas, In 2022, the Russian Federation deployed upwards of 200,000 military personnel to the borders of Ukraine; and

Whereas, On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation declared war and began a large scale invasion of Ukraine from the North, East, and South and bombed various regions across Ukraine including the capital of Kyiv in violation of international law; and

Whereas, As of February 28, 2022, a United Nations human rights monitoring team has confirmed 376 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 94 deaths, after only three days of fighting and indicated the casualties could be considerably higher; and

Whereas, The international community has responded to the violation of international law by levying sanctions against Russia and top Russian individuals, including Vladimir Putin; and

Whereas, The United States, Britain, the European Union, and Canada, along with other states, have begun the process to block Russia’s access to the SWIFT international payment system, which is a messaging network that connects banks around the world, with the goal of hobbling the Russian economy’s ability to do business beyond its border; and

Whereas, New Jersey supports Russians throughout various countries that have taken to the streets to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and supports the message “No to war”; and

Whereas, The Ukrainian people and its government have shown unwavering bravery in response to the unprovoked act of aggression by the Russians and continue to strive towards a democratic and independent state despite Russia’s crime against peace; and

Whereas, New Jersey condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and any actions by Russia to escalate the conflict further and calls on Russia to return to diplomatic solutions to resolve this conflict; and

Whereas, New Jersey and the United States support a democratic and independent Ukraine, free of the influence of Russia or any other country; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

1. The Legislature of the State of New Jersey condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and supports the citizens of Ukraine in pursuing democracy and independence.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, the United States ambassador to Ukraine, and the United States ambassador to the United Nations.

STATEMENT

This resolution condemns Russia for its declaration of war and invasion of Ukraine and expresses support for its citizens in the pursuit of independent democracy.

This resolution condemns the violation of international law committed by Russia with the invasion of the North, East, and South and the bombing of various regions across the country, including in the capital city of Kyiv. This resolution urges Russia to return to diplomacy to resolve this conflict. The resolution also recognizes the increasing number of civilian casualties as a result of the invasion by Russia.

The resolution also supports Russians throughout various countries that have taken to the streets to protest the Russian invasion. Additionally, this resolution recognizes the unwavering bravery of Ukrainian citizens and government in response to the invasion by Russia. Further, this resolution supports the international communities levying of sanctions against Russia and top Russian individuals and the removal of Russia from the international payment system, SWIFT.

Finally, this resolution supports a democratic and independent Ukraine, free from the influence of Russia or any other country.