February 17, 2023

Manchin, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing Russian War In Ukraine As Genocide

Washington, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee, and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing Russia’s war in Ukraine as genocide. Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine has included forced deportations and the deliberate killing of Ukrainian civilians resulting in mass atrocities, constituting genocide against the people of Ukraine. 
 
“Putin’s unprovoked invasion and terrible acts of war have amounted to a genocide against the Ukrainian people,” said Senator Manchin. “It is our responsibility as a world power and democratic leader to support our allies in times of need and we must hold Russia accountable for its continued atrocities against Ukraine. Our bipartisan resolution is an important step towards recognizing the depths of Russia’s war crimes and reaffirming America’s commitment to support the Ukrainian people as they defend their country from tyranny.”
 
“One year after Vladimir Putin’s unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, it is clear that Russia is committing genocide. The Ukrainian people have shown an amazing resilience, but it is critical that the United States and our allies recognize that ongoing mass murders and indiscriminate attacks on civilians are acts of genocide designed to erase the identity of the Ukrainian people. The Putin regime is ruthless, and Ukraine deserves our continued support in the face of this aggression,” Senator Capito said.
 
The resolution:

  • Condemns those Russians responsible for committing acts of genocide against the people of Ukraine;
  • Calls on the United States, along with NATO and EU allies, to support the government of Ukraine to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people;
  • Supports tribunals and international criminal investigations to hold Russian political leaders and military personnel accountable for a war of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
  • Urges the president to use Global Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible for or complicit in the Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people; and
  • Describes the substantial and significant evidence of widespread, systematic actions to eliminate the next generation of Ukrainians, including targeting maternity wards at hospitals and forcibly transferring thousands of children to the Russian Federation or territories controlled by the Russian Federation.
 
Senators Manchin and Capito were joined by Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tim Kaine (D-VV), Rick Scott (R-FL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Patty Murray (D-WA),  Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Todd Young (R-IN).
 
The full text of the resolution is available here.
A timeline of Senator Manchin’s work to support Ukraine against Putin’s’ invasion is available here.