Condemning Violence and Violations of Law - Russian Federation in Ukraine

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 10
P5, D5 6lr3724

By: Delegate J. Long
Rules suspended
Introduced and read first time: February 28, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

A House Joint Resolution concerning 1

Condemning Violence and Violations of Law – Russian Federation in Ukraine 2

FOR the purpose of condemning the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. 3

WHEREAS, On January 12, 1951, the Convention on the Prevention and 4
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (commonly known as the ‘‘Genocide Convention’’), of 5
which the Russian Federation is a party, came into effect; and 6

WHEREAS, On February 24, 2022, the R ussian Federation escalated its 7
80–year–long occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory by launching an unprovoked 8
large–scale invasion of Ukraine; and 9

WHEREAS, On March 9, 2022, Russian forces attacked a maternity hospital in 10
Mariupol, Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of five individuals and injuries to 17 other 11
individuals; and 12

WHEREAS, Forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a 13
violation of Article II(e) of the Genocide Convention; and 14

WHEREAS, Maria Lvova–Belova, Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President 15
of Russia, admitted to abducting and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children and 16
facilitating forced adoptions to Russian families; and 17

WHEREAS, Ukrainian authorities have stated that a number of the abducte d and 18
forcibly transferred Ukrainian children have families who remain in Ukraine, but have 19
been separated due to the renewed Russian invasion; and 20

WHEREAS, On June 16, 2022, Russian authorities announced that children born in 21
occupied Ukrainian territor ies after the February 24, 2022 , invasion will be deemed 22
Russian citizens; and 23

2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 10

WHEREAS, On July 11, 2022, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres 1
ordered an investigation into the deaths and injuries of Ukrainian children; and 2

WHEREAS, On July 13, 2022, then –Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken issued a 3
statement calling upon Russia to “immediately halt its systemic filtration operations in 4
Ukraine’’, which have caused the disappearance, detention, or forcible deportation of 5
between 900,000 and 1,600,000 Ukrainians; and 6

WHEREAS, On February 14, 2023, a report by the Yale School of Public Health 7
Humanitarian Research Lab identified at least 32 facilities in Russia –occupied Crimea or 8
Russia involved in systematic academic, cultural, patriotic, and military re –education of 9
Ukrainian children; and 10

WHEREAS, On January 25, 2025, then –Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs 11
Committee Michael T. McCaul stated that more than 260,000 children have been abducted 12
by Russia, citing U.S. intelligence estimates; now, therefore, be it 13

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the General 14
Assembly declares that the abduction and forcible transfer of children and facilitation of 15
illegal adoptions is contrary to Russia’s obligations under the Genocide Convention and 16
amounts to genocide; and be it further 17

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly further declares that the Russian 18
Federation is attempting to wipe out a generation of Ukrainian children, thereby impeding 19
Ukraine’s ability to nurture the next ge neration of Ukrainian citizens and leaders and to 20
rebuild their country after Russia’s unprovoked war, with the purpose of demolishing 21
Ukraine’s unique language, culture, history, and identity; and be it further 22

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly notes with concern that the invasion of 23
Ukraine by the Russian Federation has significantly increased the risks of children being 24
exposed to human trafficking , exploitation, child labor, gender –based violence, hunger, 25
injury, trauma, deprivation of education, deprivation of shelter, and even death; and be it 26
further 27

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly holds the government of the Russian 28
Federation, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, responsible for the wrongful and illegal 29
abduction, forced transfer, and subsequent illegal adoption and indoctrination of children 30
from Ukraine; and be it further 31

RESOLVED, That the General Assembly officially condemns these actions in the 32
strongest terms; and be it further 33

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 34
Legislative Services to the Governor of Maryland; the President of the Senate of Maryland; 35
and the Speaker of the House of Delegates. 36