Committee on Aviation
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RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Chicago is a city of immigrants and home to people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds; and
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WHEREAS, Chicago is proud to be the home of thousands of people of Ukrainian birth and descent, who enrich our city by their dedication to democratic ideals, and by the preservation and presentation of their cultural heritage in many forms; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is also the site and the owner of two international airports, Chicago O'Hare and Chicago Midway; and
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WHEREAS, as a prominent international destination, Chicago typically welcomes international visitors, both commercial and tourist, and encourages Chicagoans to travel to other nations for business and tourism, because such contacts can promote international understanding and economic development in Chicago and abroad; and
WHEREAS, Chicago also has a history of supporting the democratic aspirations of threatened and oppressed people in other countries through exercise of its municipal purchasing power and by means of policy statements; and
WHEREAS, recent events in Ukraine require the City of Chicago to stand with the people of Ukraine in the face of threats and wrongful actions from the Russian Federation; and
WHEREAS, Ukraine has been in a state of internal tension and turmoil in recent months, as its people chose to demonstrate and petition their government for increased economic and cultural ties to the democratic nations of Europe; and
WHEREAS, in November 2013 thousands of people gathered in Kiev, Ukraine's capital and its largest city, to protest the abandonment of such principles and policies by their elected officials; and
WHEREAS, as demonstrations grew larger and more vocal, the government's response became increasingly harsh, and included such acts of violence as abductions, beatings, and even the use of rooftop snipers against unarmed demonstrators; and
WHEREAS, the government's response was also to impose draconian laws which prohibited free political expression and increased the autocratic powers of the Ukrainian presidency; and
WHEREAS, after weeks of confrontation and tension, the government came to terms with its opposition, agreeing to constitutional changes to restore the powers of parliament, a general amnesty for demonstrators, installation of an interim national unity government and national elections to be held in December of this year; and
WHEREAS, on February 22, 2014, the Ukrainian parliament voted to impeach then-president Viktor Yanukovych and to set presidential elections for May 25 of this year; and
WHEREAS, the next day the parliament selected an interim president, Olexander Turchynov, who ordered the immediate formation of a national unity government in order to reduce tensions and to restore peace and order; and
WHEREAS, the interim prime minister and other members of the proposed national unity government appeared before the Ukrainian people on February 26; and
WHEREAS, the response of the Russian Federation to these pro-democratic events has been to authorize mobilization of Russian troops, to occupy government buildings in the capital of Ukraine's Crimea, to seize control over airports and seaport facilities in Crimea, to order additional troops to the Ukrainian-Russian border, to demand the surrender of Ukrainian naval troops in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol and to assert that Mr. Yanukovych, who was impeached and who fled Ukraine, is still that country's president; and
WHEREAS, the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory and threats against the forces and people of Ukraine are blatant violations of international law and the standards of conduct of civilized nations; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago intends to take action in support of Ukraine and its people and to make the Russian Federation understand that its lawless conduct can have serious economic consequences; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that we, the Mayor and the members of the City Council of the City of Chicago do hereby call on all air carriers using Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport to suspend all air service between Chicago and Russia, whether direct or indirect, and whether passenger or freight, until such time as the Russian Federation ceases all threats against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and withdraws its troops from Ukrainian government buildings, Ukrainian airports, Ukrainian seaport facilities, and all other Ukrainian territories and facilities occupied by Russian troops after February 26, 2014; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on the government of the Russian Federation to cease and desist from its threatening stance toward Ukraine and to stop immediately Russia's provocative acts in Crimea; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on the nations of the world to honor the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine through all appropriate diplomatic and technical means; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the local offices of all air carriers using Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport; and
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago, as a sign of our support for and solidarity with the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people and their legitimate government.
Roberto Maldonado, Alderman, 26n Ward Ariel E. Reboyras, Alderman 30' Ward
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