Committee on Foreign Relations United St

U.S. Policy in Ukraine Committee on Foreign Relations United St

The murder of Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, just outside the Kremlin appears to be an attempt to silence those in Russia who want to see their country move away from the authoritarianism, corruption, and lawlessness of today's Russia. Boris Nemtsov was critical of Putin's aggression in Ukraine, where for over a year now, Russia has continued its occupation of Crimea and the destabilization of the country's eastern regions. The conflict in eastern Ukraine, started by Russian-backed mercenaries, now directly involves thousands of Russian military personnel and has resulted in over 6,000 deaths and generated 1.5 million refugees and internally displaced persons. The United States made a commitment in 1994 to defend Ukraine's sovereignty and its territorial integrity. With Ukraine's future in the balance, the refusal of the Obama administration to step up with more robust support for Ukraine and further pressure on Russia is a blight on U. S. policy and 70 years of defending a Europe that is whole, democratic, and free.