Declaration of Support for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine
By Roman Sohn and Ariana Gic
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Declaration of Support for the Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Ukraine
The United States of America,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Helsinki Final Act, the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and other relevant international treaties and declarations,
Recalling UN resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in which it affirmed its commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,
Recognizing that the United Nations so far has failed to provide adequate aid to Ukraine to repress Russia’s aggression, or to remove Russia’s threat to peace by compelling Russia to halt its aggression against Ukraine and repair the consequences of its illegal actions,
Recognizing that the UN Security Council has failed at performing its primary responsibility for ensuring international peace and security, and that its inaction to determine the existence of Russia’s act of aggression, and to restore international peace and security in Ukraine puts the lives and well-being of millions of Ukrainians in jeopardy,
Recognizing that UN Security Council action is impaired by the Russian Federation, which abuses its privileges as a permanent member to shield itself from responsibility for its violations of international law,
Deploring Russia’s ongoing use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine that took the lives of thousands of Ukrainians and resulted in the occupation of vast territory, causing damage to infrastructure, economy, and environment,
Deploring Russia’s threat to use weapons of mass destruction to invade a peaceful neighboring state, which undermines Russia’s obligations as part of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime,
Condemning Russia’s obstruction of UN Resolution 68/262 of March 27, 2014, Resolution 71/205 of December 19, 2016, and Resolution 72/190 of December 19, 2017,
Condemning Russia’s obstruction of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015) and the unceasing violation of its commitments related to the “Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements,” which have undermined the peace process,
Condemning Russia’s continued violence in the Donbas region of Ukraine, as well as its failure to comply with the obligation to withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s territory,
Condemning Russia’s responsibility for shooting down the civilian passenger flight MH17 in Ukraine’s airspace, as well as a number of other attacks on civilians in Ukraine,
Condemning grave violations, abuses, measures, and practices of discrimination against the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea and Donbas regions by the Russian occupation authorities,
Reaffirming the United States’ policy to lead and seek multilaterally coordinated efforts with other countries to ensure that the security of non-nuclear countries that have committed to the international non-proliferation regime are not threatened by nuclear states,
Reaffirming the United States’ commitment under the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances to provide assistance to Ukraine as a victim of an act of aggression by seeking action in the UN to restore peace and security in the country,
Reaffirming the non-recognition of Russia’s illegal occupation and annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,
Affirming Ukraine’s inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, in response to the unprovoked armed attack by the Russian Federation, in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Supporting the commitment by Ukraine to adhere to international law in its efforts to put an end to Russian aggression, occupation, and illegal annexation,
Supporting the 2015 Resolution by Ukraine’s parliament appealing to the United Nations and the national parliaments of world’s nations to recognize Russia as an aggressor state,
Striving to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the fundamental principles of the UN charter can be maintained,
Determined to bring the invasion and occupation of Ukraine’s territory by the Russian Federation to an end and to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity,
1. Recognizes Russia as an aggressor state responsible for an armed attack, occupation, and illegal annexation.
2. Demands that Russia unconditionally ceases all forms of aggression, immediately withdraws all of its forces from Ukraine’s territory, ends its occupation, and rescinds the annexation of Crimea.
3. Calls upon the members of the United Nations to demonstrate their commitment to peace, security, and justice, and to apply effective measures to compel Russia to cease its aggression against Ukraine in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
4. Calls upon the members of the United Nations to provide material, financial, and military assistance to the government of Ukraine to help it repel Russian aggression.
5. Calls upon the members of the United Nations to prevent any activities by their nationals or in their territories which would promote or are calculated to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
6. Calls on Russia to enter direct talks with the government of Ukraine in good faith to bring about the peaceful settlement to Russian aggression.
7. Calls on other signatories of the Budapest Memorandum, the governments of the United Kingdom, France, and China, to mediate and observe such negotiations.
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By Roman Sohn and Ariana Gic