*sj0011* SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 11 P5 2lr3294 CF HJ 8 By: Senators Hough, Augustine, Bailey, Beidle, Benson, Carozza, Carter, Cassilly, Corderman, Eckardt, Edwards, Elfreth, Ellis, Feldman, Ferguson, Gallion, Griffith, Guzzone, Hershey, Hester, Hettleman, Jennings, Kagan, Klausmeier, King, Kramer, Lam, McCray, Ready, Reilly, Rosapepe, Salling, Simonaire, Smith, Waldstreicher, Watson, West, and Young Introduced and read first time: February 25, 2022 Assigned to: Rules SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION A Senate Joint Resolution concerning 1 Solidarity With the Government and People of Ukraine 2 FOR the purpose of stating that the State of Maryland stands in solidarity with the 3 government and people of Ukraine; and generally relating to the State’s support for 4 Ukraine. 5 WHEREAS, Since 1991, Ukraine has been an independent and sovereign state; and 6 WHEREAS, Ukraine is a democratic republic holding free and independent 7 elections, most recently in 2019, when the people of Ukraine elected Volodymyr Zelenskyy 8 to serve as their President; and 9 WHEREAS, Maryland has a deep bond with the people of Ukraine, forged by the 10 more than 20,000 Americans of Ukrainian descent who call Maryland home; and 11 WHEREAS, The Russian Federation under President Vladimir Putin launched an 12 unprovoked, unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine; and 13 WHEREAS, The unprovoked invasion of a sovereign state is a clear violation of 14 international law; and 15 WHEREAS, During this invasion, the Russian military has launched attacks on 16 civilians and sites of historical and cultural importance, including the Babyn Yar Holocaust 17 Memorial that memorializes the massacre of 34,000 Ukrainian Jews during the Second 18 World War; and 19 WHEREAS, The Russian military has attacked not only the Ukrainian people but 20 their peaceful and democratic way of life, symbolized by the assault on Freedom Square in 21 2 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 11 the city of Kharkiv; and 1 WHEREAS, The Russian invasion of Ukraine has provoked the largest conventional 2 armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War; and 3 WHEREAS, It is the duty of all free peoples to resist tyranny, whatever form it may 4 take; now, therefore, be it 5 RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND , That the State 6 stands in solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine as they resist the 7 unprovoked invasion of their territory by the Russian Federation; and be it further 8 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland encourages all Marylanders 9 to assist as they are able in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine 10 affected by this conflict; and be it further 11 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 12 Legislative Services to the Honorable Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr., Governor of Maryland; the 13 Honorable William C. Ferguson, IV, President of the Senate of Maryland; and the 14 Honorable Adrienne A. Jones, Speaker of the House of Delegates. 15