Commitments on Financial Assistance should not be caught up in bureaucratic hurdles here. A timelye to flow in way. As my chairman talks about, the market plan was not only about funding, it was also about active Technical Assistance. When we met with the government there, they welcomed largescale infusion of Human Resources in the country on all the major reform issues. They looked to the United States for expertise. They looked to the Diaspora Community for its expertise. They looked at the europeans, particularly poland, for its expertise. Poland is engage in constitutional reform issues as well. Service reform, after all of these issues, having Technical Assistance on a large scale embedded in ministries, and governments, offices, and civil Civil Society this is all welcome. We believe that International Engagement is critical at this time. Onto anothere topic, and that is russia. I had an executive in my office this morning i will not name the name or the company because i do not think he would like that to occur you have this issue, a major geopolitical issue, the day it has happened since 9 11. Yet the tools that we are willing to use obviously are very different than the tools we used on 9 11. I agree, especially having just come from poland, romania, and majora, this is a geopolitical event. How we respond will reverberate for generations. You mentioned sanctions, and many of us here have push for more robust sanctions. Some people would say, the executive would say that we push on one hand for globalization around the world to try to create democracy because we think that our way of doing theness calls causes world to be a better place. I agree with that. Time, these companies have all become intertwined. They all work through joint ventures. I could not agree more. I would like to see sectoral sanctions. We have crossed the red line and sanctions ought to be in place for what happened in Eastern Ukraine. How do you respond to the folks who come in and have to say do not have an impact on me that way. How do you respond to people who say what you just said . And how do you respond to the president when he talks about we do not want ourselves to be split from europe . We do not want we want to go with them. Is that an appropriate place to be, or should we be more forward than where we are today . In my view, you have to stay in a closely synced with europe. A closein many respects ally with respect to Angela Merkel with respect to the rest of europe and where it is. There has been some success. Do you really see that . I would say compared to her population, she is tougher than most germans. This is what we have to deal with. In terms of economic issues, it is not a question of cutting russia out of the global economy. Aree cannot do that, they not iran, and that is not our argument with them. The problem is they are able to use blackmailing political some of based upon their economic activities, most notably selling gas to europe, and secondarily, the way russian i spent an hour with Vladimir Putin in 2007 where he harped on this theme with a very unpleasant conversation with president bush. They see this as political weapons, so you need to marketfy in the best economy tradition. There are seemingly minor things that are so important. The European Union is looking to take on the monopolistic aspects of the vertically integrated russian gas industry from production to transportation to actual marketing in many countries and to break that up. Those are the kinds of things that will not only send a signal but will eventually rob russia so much strange capability to blackmail an entity, europe, that is made times larger in economy and power in every sense. Now my time is up and hopefully you can response to someone else. I think the biggest fear that i by someone inssed poland last week, and that is that we end up accepting a bigger piece with russia a it peace with russia. We are not willing to use the same tools. So we end up in a situation where they exude extremely bad behavior, we dont do much, and peace up in this bitter where they have this nation that has broken International Norms and laws, reneged on agreements. And we continue to go along in createster peace that instability in Eastern Europe and causes people to question the United States. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Chairman, thank you very much. Let me thank all of our witnesses for their extraordinary work. I want to thank the iri for their participation in monitoring the ukrainian elections. Senator portman and i were there on the ground, had a chance to visit polling stations and had a chance to meet with the leadership of the country. We share your observations, and i thank you very much. Similarmuch have observations. In your overall concern, the International Order of dealing with these types of incursions is very much in jeopardy here, and this goes well beyond the ukraine. Clearly what russia did in crimea, what they are doing in east ukraine, violates International Commitments and agreements, etc. We go through all of them, including osce commitments. It is all being looked at in the china seas. I went from ukraine to vietnam. All i heard in vietnam was their concern about china in the south china seas. When i was in japan, i heard concerns about the east china seas. Order,ot engage a better we will see what happened in ukraine used by major powers elsewhere to solve territorial disagreements. I just want to come on strongly in support of your comments that we need to get nato involved in ukraine because it does involve our natoity of alliance. And we need to have an enforceable code of conduct in the china seas so that we can restore some semblance of withpline in how we deal territorial disputes. I just also want to underscore points that have been made of what we need to do in ukraine. , i agreeoman harman that the protesters in the maidan were much more fundamental than just taking sides on ethnic disputes. They want a country that responds to the needs of their people, and a country free of corruption. That is not going to be easy in ukraine. It will take a longterm commitment to get the country to perform at the level that the protesters expect and will demand. So therefore, first and foremost, is our economic programs to help so that they have a performing economy. I think we all agree on that. The point that was raised about ourging europe, along with policies, that has to be essential. I think president obama deserves great credit for being able to mobilize europe in a more cohesive fashion that we have seen with previous problems in other places in europe. Does require attention to the fundamental economics which deal also with energy, and we very much need to be aggressive in providing shortterm and longterm alternatives to ukraine on their energy issues. It also involves sanctions. There is total agreement here that we need to be tougher on sanctions. And that sanctions work, and that the threat of sanctions work. But the threat only works to a certain degree if you do not deliver. Russias actions and the words that were given before the election indicate it is time for us to move forward with additional sanctions. Iny have to be strategic thought out and in coordination with europe. I want to get to another point that has been talked about, and effect whether we can the balance on the border between ukraine and russia. Pointed out, you congressman harman, the people from russia who want to come into ukraine have no difficulty getting through that border. Nice ifwould be president putin would do something about it. We have to be very firm about that. But resident putin does not do what he says. So i dont want to take his word that he will maintain the border for ukrainians against russia. I think the United States and europe can play a pretty constructive role in strengthening the Border Security issues. The russians may make it difficult for osce to get that type of technical support, but it seems to me that we can find an effective way to help ukraine deal with its own defense of its borders. Get your view as to whether that would be a priority, should be a priority, and whether that can be effectively carried out. Well, you know i agree with you. How to do it does matter. What the process is does matter. It needs to be a ukrainian response. International organizations to help is right. The osce has an interesting position in the country. Osce convene roundtables, three held by a scholar at the wilson center, and those roundtables begin to achieve something that mark green is talking about, which is a conversation in the country to unite all the parts of the country a really good idea, and they will continue. But osce is interesting because it is a Member Organization that includes russia. Followinge in vienna my trip to ukraine and was told that the way the procedures work at osce russia is kind of locked in for a sixmonth it seems to me it would be smart do whatosce mobilized to top you are talking about the mission is in their. Toit is in east ukraine, and mobilize resources after the border. Putin responds to strength. Reasonable controls, full of armed people who may or may not be they are going to need Technical Assistance, more than the International Community is currently providing. Ukraine has a very undercapitalized system. Our strength against russia is our economic strength. That is where we can stop russia more effectively, and are our best weapon. We talk about terrorists attacking us asymmetrically. Everybody here supports sanctions done intelligently and quickly could get a very rapid response. Russia to not trust stop the flow into ukraine. I agree we can do more to assist ukraine in terms of tightening their border. In the short term it will be the gold given the length of the border come and my guess is as long as the russians are determined to get across they will find ways. In the short term, to pressure additional sanctions on russia, we have got to get russia to be part of the solution, not the problem. Oflets remember the history brushfire battles. We also need to help the Ukrainian Government in that part of the country to deliver. We needed to help build capacity, help deliver basic services and really provide the links to the government that those communities are looking for that have been taken apart by the destabilization activities when putin comes in, attempts to sponsor the separatist movements. Success in building governing capacity should be part of the solution. Tois also important i think create that sense of linkage to the National Government and the kinds of successes that reinforce for all those communities why they want to be ukrainian in the first place. Senator, i agree with everybody my colleagues have said, but you have laid out a military problem and it is not a military problem we are ignorant of. We see it in afghanistan where you have an insurgency supported and largely generated from across the border. It is a tricky problem. There are ways to deal with it. First of all, all of the things stated to strengthen the Ukrainian Government am a to strengthen the support of the people, to strengthen the economy, that then leverages into a common insurgencys tragic of stabilization that puts a minimum of force and a maximum henri conciliation and slowly moving in picking the lowhanging fruit as you do in any organized stability operation so that the area controlled by the prorussians does not expand. At the same time you are putting pressure through sanctions, diplomatic activities, to strengthening nato, which is something to do and does not like, watching american Ground Troops on his western borders, to send a signal that it is just going to get worse if you keep this up, and what are you gaining . Deepening ukraine is its sovereignty, its stability, and in the long run youre not going to win this insurgency. And then there can be a time to move this forward. You need the political, economic steps, you need to reach out to the population, but it is also a military activity. Could i comment on what you said regarding the impact of ukraine on other places. Be signing the Association Agreement later this month. It will be Holding Parliamentary Elections in november. And i think we have to have a very watchful on on what is. Appening what will happen following the signing of the Association Agreement in a very small and vulnerable country close by. Thank you, mr. Chairman. You used a business term which i frick. Owhanging my colleagues on republican side realize we try to address it in a strategic process. I would like to quickly growth through Something Like that. Strategic planning process describes reality. You have to bow to reality. Aced on the reality, set goals. I want to lay out my assumptions on reality. First assumption, it makes no sense to russia what putin is doing. Number two, as result, this is all about putins dego. Number three, what gives him power is his oil and gas, the gas station. In his monopoly control over supply which is crazy. In business, customers should be in control, not supplier. Here is another reality. Talk about sanctions, a contrary view. Most of the harm caused to the russian economy occurred before any sanctions were imposed, because the world recognizes what he is doing and makes no economic sense. He has done his own economic harm. Sanctionsy is because are a double edged sword, mutually harmful, i do not believe the west will have the will to affect his catalyst altogether. I do not believe they are going to be imposed. Maybe not a bad thing. I would rather inflict pain on putin, make him pay a price without us having to pay a price. That sets me up with the assumption that is the reality situation. Run that you establish goals. The number one short term goal, obvious, is ukraine must gain control over the east. Anybody disagree with that . Ok. We need to help them, right . So we can talk about sanctions but they will not get imposed, but we can help them secure the east. So we need to do those things. When wewo, we certainly are on the ground heard about the incredible effect of the propaganda coming from russia. We need to counter that aggressively. We can do that, cant we . Shortterme the two goals. Medium term, having what was so hopeful about the protest in maidan, a coming together of the ukrainian people saying they are sick of the corruption. We need to do everything in terms of our actions. We have to tie aid or help to make sure that anticorruption laws are passed. We should do that. That is the medium term because another part of the solution is we have to have a successful government in ukraine. Long term, again, understanding what gives putin power is his oil and gas monopolies. We should be taking actions today to make sure that Vladimir Putin understands his monopoly ,ill not be in place, not two 3, 4 years from now. Here is the assumption, the reality, and you have to hear the goals we can achieve. Where am i wrong . What am i missing . I will start with you, congresswoman harman. I agree, and none of us mentioned russian television, but Madeleine Albright who headed the delegation on which i was a member, speaks russian, and she kept talking about the domination of this message from russian tv into ukraine everywhere she went. Do notot and ukrainians have an effect of counter. I commend you for putting that on the table. It is a very important shortterm goal. We discussed the border. Everybody agrees what needs to be done on the order. Medium term, my understanding is there are now as part of this package of laws that can mentioned, the reanimation package, what has been passed to date, some strong anticorruption law. The problem is it is not enforced. That should be a huge early step of the poroshenko government. On the longterm, absolutely break up the gas monopoly. I am hoping for sectional sanctions. Tom friedman, the writer for the new york times, called it a grand bargain to buy into a package of safe to the limit of energy, safe transportation of energy, and then export of energy, a variety of energy, not russia asto replace the gas station for europe. Another point, senator mark d was going to be here, but i know he has a notion that we should help ukraine become perfect. I think we rehearsed this if you are going to talk renewable energies, that would rank pretty low on the we have to take a look on what is most effective. Markey,ing for senator which i have done for many years, his point is that crane is the least efficient user of energy of any of the countries in that region. Windows are open in the wintertime because it gets so hot. If we could help with efficiency, we could reduce their dependence on russia. There are steps like that we should be taking. I agree with most of your comments. I think there is value in sanctions because do you honestly think they are going to be imposed where we could impose them. It might affect his catalyst at a cost to the west. Because that cost of the west, do you think they can be imposed . Vladimir putin has crossed the line. E has done what we said we have not impose them yet. Thatcan see sanctions would have a serious impact on russia. I cannot tell you politically that i am sure we can bring the europeans to do that. That is a real problem. What is achievable, what is possible. Towe should still be trying push, because otherwise the egregious nature of what has happened, the First Time Since 1945 where a big country has used military force to take territory from a small country in europe. There needs to be some penalty for this. On the gas question, i think we should be doing things, including looking at exporting itrican lng, to begin make more difficult for gas youre now gets about 30 of its gas from russia. Europe only slowly should wean itself away, and we should find ways to encourage that. Jane said about working with ukraine. Ukraine