Tom Lantos: “I am pleased to join him as a cosponsor of this important resolution congratulating Ukraine on the progress that this…”

“I am pleased to join him as a cosponsor of this important resolution congratulating Ukraine on the progress that this newly independent country has made toward achieving a democratic society and a functioning market economy. Mr. Speaker, we in the United States have an important stake in the future success and prosperity and democratic progress of the Ukraine-- and what takes place in Ukraine will reverberate well beyond the borders of that country. It can rightfully be said, Mr. Speaker, that as Ukraine goes, so will go the newly independent republics of the former Soviet Union, including Russia. With the exception of Russia, Ukraine has the largest population of the former Soviet republics. It also has the largest, most advanced and most highly diversified economy of all of the independent former Soviet Republics. If Ukraine is able to maintain its sovereignty and its independence from Russia while at the same time establishing the economic and political ties with its closest and largest neighbor, this will bring us a good deal closer to our goal of seeing democracy take root throughout the former Soviet Union. We must encourage Russia to recognize, respect, and observe in practice the full sovereignty of Ukraine.”