Ukraine: Confronting Internal Challenges and External
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UKRAINE: CONFRONTING INTERNAL CHALLENGES AND EXTERNAL HEARING BEFORE THE COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION APRIL 9, 2014 Printed for the use of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ( Available via http://www.csce.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 95–594 WASHINGTON : 2015 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH COMMISSIONERS SENATE HOUSE BENJAMIN CARDIN, Maryland, CHRISTOPHER SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman Co-Chairman SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island JOSEPH PITTS, Pennsylvania TOM UDALL, New Mexico ROBERT ADERHOLT, Alabama JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire PHIL GINGREY, Georgia RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut MICHAEL BURGESS, Texas ROGER WICKER, Mississippi ALCEE HASTINGS, Florida SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia LOUISE MCINTOSH SLAUGHTER, JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas New York MIKE MCINTYRE, North Carolina STEVE COHEN, Tennessee (II) VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:29 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING UKRAINE: CONFRONTING INTERNAL CHALLENGES AND EXTERNAL APRIL 9, 2014 COMMISSIONERS Page Hon. Benjamin Cardin, Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 1 Hon. Michael Burgess, Commissioner, Commission on Secu- rity and Cooperation in Europe .............................................. 3 Hon. Steve Cohen, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 4 Hon. Sheldon Whitehouse, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ...................................... 5 Hon. John Boozman, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe ..................................................... 15 WITNESS Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary for European and Eur- asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State ................................ 6 APPENDICES Prepared Statement of Hon. Benjamin Cardin ........................ 27 Prepared Statement of Hon. Christopher Smith ...................... 29 Prepared Statement of Victoria Nuland .................................... 30 Prepared Statement of Oleksandr Motsyk ................................ 32 (III) VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0484 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 0484 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING UKRAINE: CONFRONTING INTERNAL CHALLENGES AND EXTERNAL APRIL 9, 2014 COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE, Washington, DC. The hearing was held from 10:09 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Room 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., Senator Ben- jamin Cardin, Chairman of the Commission on Security and Co- operation in Europe, presiding. Commissioners present: Hon. Benjamin Cardin, Chairman, Com- mission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Sheldon Whitehouse, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Coopera- tion in Europe; Hon. John Boozman, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Hon. Michael Burgess, Com- missioner, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and Hon. Steve Cohen, Commissioner, Commission on Security and Co- operation in Europe. Witnesses present: Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary for Euro- pean and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State. HON. BENJAMIN CARDIN, CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE Mr. CARDIN. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to this hear- ing of the Helsinki Commission. I particularly want to thank Sec- retary Nuland for her presence here today and for her extraor- dinary service to our country during an extremely challenging time. We’ve had the opportunity to talk on several occasions, but I par- ticularly appreciate this opportunity within the forum of the Hel- sinki Commission to be able to have this discussion about the cir- cumstances in Ukraine. I also want to acknowledge Ambassador Motsyk, the ambassador from Ukraine, who is here. We appreciate very much his presence. I also want to acknowledge Spencer Oliver, who is the secretary general of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, who is with us today also. We have a distinguished group of people that are in the audience, along with Congressmen Burgess and Cohen. It’s a pleas- ure to welcome you all here today. I look forward to examining the current situation in Ukraine and discussing how the United States, together with the international community, including EU and the OSCE, can best assist Ukraine and deter further Russian aggres- sion. Since last November, Ukraine has been in turmoil with a deterio- rating economy, public unrest by millions of protesters fed up with the human rights and democracy rollback and the massive corrup- (1) VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING 2 tion characterized by the four-year rule of Viktor Yanukovych. The largely peaceful protests culminated in a violent crackdown result- ing in the killing of more than 80 people in a span of three days. This in turn led to Yanukovych’s removal by a sizable majority in parliament on February 22nd. Since then an interim government has been working at a rapid pace to address the numerous internal challenges moving forward on badly needed economic and political reforms and preparing for the critical May 25th presidential elec- tions. I might say that I know that the OSCE Parliamentary As- sembly and ODIHR will be participating in election monitoring. We will have a delegation from the commission, which will also be in Ukraine for the May 25th elections. As if these internal challenges weren’t enough, a few days into the interim government’s tenure Russia seized Crimea by force. Russia held an illegal referendum and annexed the peninsula. Rus- sia’s illegal actions violated numerous international obligations, in- cluding the core principles of the Helsinki Final Act. The land grab, cloaked in the cloth of self-determination, brings to mind darker times in Europe’s history, undermines the international order, and sets a dangerous precedent. We saw Russia take similar action in Georgia and now in Crimea, in Ukraine. If this goes unchecked, and if we do not speak with a unified voice, it encourages more irresponsible action by Russia and other countries around the world that might be so inclined. Meanwhile Russia continues to threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with formal military intervention and attempts to under- mine the legitimacy of the new government, including through a propaganda campaign where truth is a casualty. In the last few days, Russian agents have fomented protests in several eastern cities in an attempt to destabilize Ukraine and make it more amenable to Russia’s influence, yet these efforts do not appear to be finding fertile ground. Secretary Nuland, as I’m sure you’re aware, Secretary Kerry testified before the Senate For- eign Relations Committee yesterday and was pretty candid about the efforts that Russia has been doing, particularly in the eastern part of Ukraine, to try to provoke action and unrest, and this obvi- ously needs to be brought forward. It is clear that Ukrainians want to live in a united Ukraine. Even among the ethnic Russians there have been no cries of dis- crimination. It is clear that the people of Ukraine long for the rule of law, transparency, democracy and respect for human rights. They want to be afforded the dignity and respect that all human beings desire and deserve. The May 25th elections will be vital to understanding the aspirations of the people of Ukraine and the course they want to chart for their future. A free and democratic electoral process is a powerful response to Russia’s perceptions and Russia’s aggression. Given what is at stake, it is so important for the administration, the Congress and the international community to respond, and I believe it’s absolutely essential that we speak with a strong, united voice and standing with the people of Ukraine. I particularly want to note the vital work of the OSCE and its various institutions which have been actively engaged in sending monitoring missions and representatives to help foster security and respect for human VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Aug 19, 2015 Jkt 095594 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\HR\OC\A594.XXX A594 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with HEARING 3 rights. The OSCE has deployed a large special monitoring mission in Ukraine. I hope that Russia will not prohibit this mission as well as other smaller OSCE missions from entering Crimea. I’m especially grateful that the Senate and the House, on an overwhelming bipartisan basis, were able to send to the president, for his signature, legislation underscoring our country’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with tangible economic democracy and security assistance. The legislation also sanctions Ukrainians and Russians responsible for undermining Ukrainian sovereignty