Washington, D.C. – Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding the news from Kyiv that an agreement between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition leaders has been forged.

“The events of the past several days in Ukraine have been truly tragic, and my prayers and deepest condolences go out to the families of those who lost their lives. I, therefore, welcome today’s news from Kyiv of an agreement between President Yanukovych and opposition leaders. This agreement appears to provide the best chance at present for a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the crisis. I commend the efforts of Ukrainian leaders who have realized the need for compromise and laud the efforts of the Administration and our European partners, in particular the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and Poland, who facilitated this agreement.

“I urge all sides to continue to exercise the utmost restraint and to implement immediately the initial steps of the agreement. In particular, I call on President Yanukovych to sign the legislation passed by Ukraine’s parliament today regarding constitutional reforms and amnesty. In addition, the United States must continue to support this process and be ready to take additional actions against individuals who authorize or engage in further violence. The United States also must continue to affirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and support the aspirations of its people for democracy, rule of law, and fundamental human rights and dignity.”

On February 10, 2014, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.Res. 447, authored by Rep. Engel, which supports the democratic and European aspirations of the people of Ukraine, and their right to choose their own future of intimidation and fear.