“Since the end of the Second World War, global security has depended on the principle that one nation cannot legitimately seize territory from another by force.  That, however, is exactly what Vladimir Putin is trying to do in Ukraine with Russia’s criminal invasion.  We know that people living in Russian-occupied territories in the Donbas, in southern Ukraine, and in Crimea are being subjected to human-rights violations, state terror, intimidation, and even torture, and it is no surprise that Russian officials in Putin’s employ have now again resorted to sham plebiscites in an effort to justify their military takeover of Ukrainian sovereign territory against international laws and norms.  These referenda were orchestrated through violence and coercion, with the results predetermined according to Putin’s designs long before the first ballots were forced.  Their results reflect nothing less than his desperation in the face of military defeats and have no connection to the will of the people living in those areas.  Make no mistake: Ukraine has a right to defend itself against invasion and to liberate its territories and its citizens from enemy occupation.  
 
“With the support of the United States and other allies, Ukraine has demonstrated that not only can it defend against Russia’s invasion but that it can also repel the occupiers.  We must continue to provide Ukraine with assistance that enables it to push Russian forces back from its territory and ensure that they do not return, which is why I will bring a continuing resolution to the Floor today that includes $12 billion for Ukraine’s defense requested by the President. 
 
“With these illegal annexations and new threats, Putin has miscalculated yet again.  He continues to believe that he can bully the democratic world, led by the United States and our allies, into giving him what he wants.  Once more, he will find that the freedom-loving nations will not be cowed.  We will continue to support Ukraine’s righteous and just defense of its independence and territorial integrity.  We will continue to work together to impose increasingly painful sanctions to isolate and degrade Putin’s regime and those that enable him.  We will continue to work with our partners to mitigate the side effects of sanctions on our own economies.  Moreover, we will keep expressing our support for the people of Russia who do not want to wage illegal and unjust war, who dare to speak out at the risk of danger to themselves and their families, and who still believe in the promise of a democratic future for their country.”