Fighting "harmful influence": why a draft resolution on supporting Ukraine was submitted to the US Congress

Representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties in the US House of Representatives introduced a draft bipartisan resolution on supporting Ukraine to Congress. According to the statement of the congressmen, the adoption of the document will be an important measure confirming the strategic interest of the States in strengthening freedom and democracy in Europe.

“As chairmen of the bipartisan caucus on Ukraine in the US Congress, we are pleased to present a joint resolution of both parties confirming the United States support for the Ukrainian people and the democratic development of Ukraine, free from Russian harmful influence,” the congressmen said in a statement.

The authors of the resolution highly appreciate the staunchness and achievements of the Ukrainian people “in the face of Russian aggression” and note that the successes of Ukraine will only strengthen the interests of US national security in the region and around the world. Among the authors of the document are Democratic Congressmen Marcy Kaptur and Mike Qilué, as well as Republicans Andy Harris and Brian Fitzpatrick.

• Military operations in the Donbass
• Reuters
• © Gleb Garanich

The text of the draft resolution states that Ukraine back in 1994 joined the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Alliance, and is also a state long aspiring to NATO membership.

Russia is accused by the authors of the resolution of persecuting religious minorities in Crimea, as well as attempts to undermine democratic processes in Ukraine with the help of hybrid techniques, including cyber attacks and misinformation.

In the final part of the resolution, congressmen call on the US government and American allies in Europe and the world, as well as the UN and OSCE to “continue to exert pressure on Russia to fulfill its international obligations.”

Gas issue

Separate paragraphs of the document are devoted to gas supplies, because, according to the congressmen, “Russia intends to use the Nord Stream-2 and Turkish Stream pipelines to bypass transit routes through Ukraine and weaken the country's energy security and economy.”

The draft resolution calls for "countering the threats posed by Russia to the energy security of the allies of the United States of America in Europe and calls on the government of the United States of America to continue to support the diversification of energy supplies to Europe."

At the same time, Russia and Ukraine have already signed an agreement on gas transit, deliveries under the new contract began on January 1, 2020.

• Reuters

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, designed to diversify Russian fuel supplies to Europe, has long been irritating Washington. The head of the White House, Donald Trump, actively criticized him, reproaching the German authorities for their willingness to pay Russia “billions of dollars” for gas supplies.

Later, the States imposed sanctions against European companies involved in its implementation, which forced the Swiss company Allseas to stop work on laying the offshore section of the pipeline.

Despite this, the project will still be completed: the technical capabilities of Russia allow it to do this on its own. The head of the Russian Ministry of Energy Alexander Novak said that Nord Stream 2 will be launched before the end of 2020.

The commitment to Nord Stream 2 was also confirmed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking at a press conference following talks with Vladimir Putin, she noted that the project "needs to be completed."

According to the director of the Institute of the USA and Canada Valery Garbuzov, American congressmen are trying to convince everyone that Russia uses energy supplies as an instrument of geopolitical influence, thus placing European countries and Ukraine in a dependent position.

“In order to prevent this from happening, they suggest diversifying the supply of gas and oil. Washington’s goal is to tear Europe away from Russia in the supply of hydrocarbons, primarily natural gas. However, in reality the situation is not as American politicians try to present it. If the States really succeeded in driving Russian gas out of the European market, Europe would be dependent on American LNG. And this is well understood by Europeans who are trying to distance themselves from the anti-Russian rhetoric of the States, ”the expert explained in an interview with RT.

He also added that the US efforts in this matter are futile, because Nord Stream 2 will be completed anyway. ”

Against Kolomoisky

In addition to gas issues, the authors of the resolution also touched upon the topic of the Ukrainian “PrivatBank”. The document says about the inadmissibility of the return of the financial organization in the hands of the previous owners - the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky and his partner Gennady Bogolyubov.

Congressmen are convinced that PrivatBank "should remain independent of any oligarchic influence, should not return to its previous owners and the situation with it is a test of Ukraine’s commitment to anti-corruption reforms."

PrivatBank was nationalized by the Ukrainian government at the end of 2016, after which the state recapitalized it for 155 billion hryvnias. Authorities claimed that this was due to the fact that the former owners and founders of PrivatBank removed funds from its balance sheet to foreign accounts shortly before they lost the asset.

At the same time, the former shareholders of the bank did not come to terms with the decision of the authorities and filed lawsuits against state structures of Ukraine with a demand to compensate for the losses incurred by them. For its part, the Ukrainian leadership demands that ex-owners return the capital withdrawn from the bank’s accounts. The International Monetary Fund, which lends support to Kiev, insists on the same thing.

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that he is not going to support the former owners of PrivatBank, but intends to protect exclusively the interests of the state and citizens in this matter.

According to the expert of the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies Volodymyr Bruter, criticism of Kolomoisky began to sound more often in Washington after the oligarch ruined relations with the American establishment and began to urge the Ukrainian leadership to establish ties with Moscow.

“Paradoxical as it may seem, Kolomoisky is now pushing Kiev towards normalizing relations with Russia. Therefore, the States are so actively opposing the return of PrivatBank to it, this would strengthen the position of the oligarch. Democrats and Republicans have some consensus on this. And the resolution is designed to once again remind Zelensky of whom he should support and whom to shun, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Replace financial assistance

The adoption of the resolution proposed by the congressmen “will not entail any direct consequences”, since this document is exclusively of a recommendatory nature, experts say. They noted that such actions have “propaganda goals” and are designed to influence the opinions of people, including those who are able to make practical decisions.

This opinion, in particular, is shared by political analyst Alexander Asafov. According to him, there is no question of real support for Ukraine in this case.

“All American political groups, including Democrats and Republicans, have long learned to pay Kiev’s loyalty not with money or other practical help, but with loud statements, promises and resolutions. This document was not developed at all with the aim of providing financial assistance to Ukraine, but to replace it, ”Asafov concluded.