119-sres199

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 199 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 199

Expressing support and appreciation for the efforts of the Republic of 
 Romania and the Republic of Moldova to defend democracy and combat 
 malign Russian interference.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 1, 2025

 Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Tillis) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Expressing support and appreciation for the efforts of the Republic of 
 Romania and the Republic of Moldova to defend democracy and combat 
 malign Russian interference.

Whereas the Republic of Romania and the Republic of Moldova are committed to 
 supporting democracy, the rule of law, and the sovereignty and 
 territorial integrity of countries in eastern Europe;
Whereas, in 2024, the Government of the Russian Federation attempted to 
 undermine the democratic systems, economic prosperity, and energy 
 security of Romania and Moldova as part of a wider campaign to expand 
 its malign influence and promote broader instability across Europe and 
 the world;
Whereas, despite growing pressure from Russian leaders, the people and 
 institutions of Romania and Moldova remain committed to supporting 
 democratic values and combating the effects of malign Russian pressure 
 campaigns in eastern Europe;
Whereas Romania--

    (1) is a crucial leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(referred to in this preamble as ``NATO''), has made significant 
investments in military infrastructure and capabilities in order to protect 
NATO's eastern flank, and spent 2.2 percent of its gross domestic product 
on defense spending during 2024, which surpasses the requirement set forth 
in the Wales Summit Declaration of 2014;

    (2) is a vital member of the European Union that has led efforts to 
support the entry of other eastern European countries into NATO, including 
Moldova;

    (3) has the energy resources to help counter Russia's weaponization of 
energy supplies, including natural gas, against Europe; and

    (4) has provided critical support to Ukraine since Russia's unprovoked, 
full-scale war of aggression began on February 24, 2022, including by 
providing energy, economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to 
Ukraine and facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain across the Black 
Sea;

Whereas Romania's commitment to robust transatlantic relations and leadership 
 within NATO have made it a target for Russian interference, including 
 during Romania's presidential election on November 24, 2024, which was 
 targeted by a digital campaign backed by a state actor intended to 
 influence the results of the election;
Whereas this digital campaign attempted to manipulate the election in favor of 
 candidates who supported Russian President Vladimir Putin, were critical 
 of NATO, and were critical of Romanian assistance to Ukraine;
Whereas Romania has scheduled a new presidential election to take place in May 
 2025;
Whereas Moldova--

    (1) has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to strengthening its 
democracy and deepening its European integration;

    (2) applied for European Union membership in March 2022, was granted 
candidate status in June 2022, and began accession negotiations in June 
2024;

    (3) codified its commitment to joining the European Union in October 
2024 through a Constitutional Referendum;

    (4) has made tremendous strides in its efforts to join the European 
Union by 2035, including ongoing efforts to ensure its laws, institutions, 
and regulations comply with European Union accession standards and 
regulations; and

    (5) has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian 
people following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 
2022;

Whereas Moldova's democratic and pro-European Union aspirations have made it a 
 target for Russian interference, including--

    (1) Russia's weaponization of energy supplies against Moldova by 
halting the flow of natural gas to Transnistria, where Moldova's main 
electricity power plant is located, causing serious consequences for 
Moldovans, including blackouts and a dramatic increase in the cost of 
energy in the winter months of 2025; and

    (2) Russia's efforts to influence Moldova's 2024 elections, including 
its presidential election and European Union constitutional referendum, in 
favor of pro-Russia, anti-European Union candidates and platforms, 
including through--

 G
        (A) fake bomb threats against polling stations abroad and 
preparations to instigate violent demonstrations;

 G
        (B) explicit vote-buying campaigns; and

 G
            (C) cyber operations against government and private-sector 
targets, including Moldova's Central Electoral Commission;

Whereas Moldova's parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place after the 
 current parliament's term ends in July 2025; and
Whereas international efforts to support Moldova's democracy and address the 
 impacts of Russia's weaponization of natural gas must increase in order 
 to counter Russian interference ahead of the 2025 parliamentary 
 elections: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) expresses robust support and appreciation for the 
 efforts of the Governments of Romania and of Moldova and their 
 people as they work to strengthen state sovereignty and 
 democracy in eastern Europe, despite tremendous pressure from 
 Russia;

    (2) applauds the partnership between Romania and Moldova in 
 the energy sector as a model of reducing reliance on the use of 
 Russian energy exports;

    (3) expresses support for Romania's critical role within 
 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union;

    (4) expresses support for Moldova's aspirations to join the 
 European Union;

    (5) condemns Russian efforts to pressure, coerce, or 
 otherwise manipulate democratic sovereign states, including 
 Romania and Moldova;

    (6) urges the international community, including the 
 European Union, to increase their support for Romania and 
 Moldova's democracies in advance of their respective elections 
 in 2025, including by--
        (A) releasing the full European Commission report 
 detailing the extent of Russian interference in the 
 2024 Romanian presidential election, including through 
 TikTok; and
        (B) administering appropriate disciplinary action 
 and best practices for combating such interference in 
 future elections; and

    (7) urges the United States Government--
        (A) to strengthen bilateral and multilateral 
 engagements with Romania and Moldova in support of 
 democracy and state sovereignty in eastern Europe; and
        (B) to strengthen support for Romanian and Moldovan 
 security and election integrity in advance of 
 presidential elections and parliamentary elections set 
 to be held in May and September, respectively.
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