WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined colleagues to introduce the Non-Recognition of Russian Annexation of Ukrainian Territory Act, legislation that would bolster support for Ukraine and defend against efforts to force Ukraine to give up its sovereign territory. The bill would require the United States government to not recognize any Russian claim of sovereignty over any portion of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine and prohibit any federal department or agency from taking any action or extending any assistance that implies recognition of Russian claims over Ukraine. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Russia’s plan for a referendum in occupied parts of Ukraine is an undisguised attempt to annex territory in Ukraine and change the narrative of this war to distract from the fact that Putin’s illegal and unjustified invasion is failing,” said Senator Coons. “The American people stand with Ukraine, and our government will never recognize these territories for anything other than what they are: part of a sovereign, democratic Ukraine.”

“There is no amount of propaganda or political scheming that can change the reality of what is happening in Ukraine,” said Senator Rubio. “Vladimir Putin is the real aggressor in this war, and he is attempting an unjustified takeover of a sovereign, democratic country. The United States cannot recognize Putin’s claims or we risk establishing a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party, to imitate.”

“Putin’s threatened sham referendums reek of desperation,” said Senator Durbin. “The world knows the war in Ukraine is a disaster and increasingly so to the Russian people, who are tired of their kids dying over Putin’s warped nostalgia for Soviet dystopia. Today’s bill reaffirms our commitment to the Ukrainian people and that the United States will never recognize sovereign Ukrainian territories as part of Russia.”

Vladimir Putin announced plans to hold referendums in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine with the goal of annexing these regions into the Russian Federation. Announcing annexation is intended to paint Ukrainian efforts to restore its territorial integrity as aggressive actions against the Russian Federation so as to depress the West’s assistance to Ukraine.