Senate bill 2277; sitting in committee just waiting for MH17

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Senate Bill 2277 (sorry, i couldn't resist) also known as the Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014 was submitted 5/1/14 by Senator Bob Corker of TN, was read twice, and referred to committee. Look for this one to find new life this week. Some of my favorite parts you ask?

Directs the President to: (1) implement a plan for increasing U.S. and NATO support for the armed forces of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, and other NATO member-states; and (2) direct the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO to seek consideration for permanently basing NATO forces in such countries.

Directs the Secretary of State to increase efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and political and civil society organizations in the Russian Federation.

Directs DOD to assess the capabilities and needs of the Ukrainian armed forces. Authorizes the President, upon completion of such assessment, to provide specified military assistance to Ukraine.

Then we get to the really important parts:

Provides major non-NATO ally status for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova (during the period in which each of such countries meets specified criteria) for purposes of the transfer or possible transfer of defense articles or defense services.

Any my personal favorite:

Urges the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Trade and Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the World Bank Group, and the European Bank for Reconstruction to promote assistance to Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova in order to exploit natural gas and oil reserves and to develop alternative energy sources.

It seems that the oil and gas can't be forgotten in any good conflict.

Cheers!

a reply to: soulshn

This would be the death of Ukraine and those other countries mentioned here.

Provides major non-NATO ally status for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova (during the period in which each of such countries meets specified criteria) for purposes of the transfer or possible transfer of defense articles or defense services.

Sounds like someone is getting desperate.

a reply to: soulshn

Of course oil & gas can not be forgotten...good old fashion greed is well at work!

a reply to: soulshn

Thank you for the find.
What scares me is everyone in Congress lived through the Cold War. Some are old enough to remember the Duck and Cover days, others the massive build up under Reagan of nuclear weapons (tto be fair, he did sign a treaty dismantling others). And bills like these are proposed...

The US war fetish. Under the current Constitution, been around 220+ years...out of that, have been in some kind of armed conflict or war in all but 22 of them. 22 years of no combat. Tell your kids that before they enlist.