NEW YORK – The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, sent urgent letters of appeal to the co-chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, the Senate Ukraine Caucus, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, requesting them to “hold congressional hearings about Russia’s blatant use of force against Ukraine.”
Explaining that while the Ukrainian American community is grateful for the many “recent statements and stalwart support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence” from leaders in Congress, the UCCA’s letter underscores that Ukraine stands at “a watershed moment in its history.”
In explaining the urgency of the letter, UCCA President Andriy Futey highlighted the plight of the 24 Ukrainian sailors who are currently being held in Russian captivity – a move that violates international maritime conventions. “We must take every available measure to secure their immediate release,” stated Mr. Futey.
At the same time, the UCCA on December 3 forwarded an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he departed for Brussels, Belgium, to attend the semi-annual meeting of NATO foreign affairs ministers. Echoing the UCCA’s previous statements condemning Russia’s premeditated and deliberate act of aggression against Ukraine on November 25, the letter to Secretary Pompeo requests that he propose a collective call by NATO member states for the immediate return to Ukraine of the captured Ukrainian warships and military personnel.
The letter goes on to reference the stalled NATO Black Sea Action Plan in the planning since the 2016 NATO Warsaw Summit, which proposed to “substantially increase in NATO’s presence and maritime activity” in the Black Sea. Following on Sen. John Barasso’s (R-Wyo.) call to action on “Meet the Press,” the UCCA’s letter also asks the summit leaders to consider “the immediate deployment of naval vessels from NATO member states to Ukrainian and NATO ally ports in the Black Sea.”
As the bastion of democracy in the free world, the United States bears a moral obligation to take the lead in promoting international norms, defending basic human rights and freedoms, and charting a course of geopolitical stability, the UCCA noted. The Ukrainian American community believes that the national security interests of the United States lie in the fulfillment of that obligation.