The Socorro County Commissioners passed an emergency resolution to condemn the invasion of Ukraine during their regular meeting last week. Photo by Cathy Cook.

The Socorro County Board of County Commissioners made plain its condemnation of the Russian invasion of its neighboring country of Ukraine at last week’s meeting by passing a strongly worded resolution.

“The board condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against, and invasion, of Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression,” the resolution states.

The resolution points out that “an ever-growing number of Ukrainian civilians are losing their lives in the war waged by the Kremlin against the population of Ukraine and hundreds have been wounded and approximately two million have left their homes or have fled to neighboring countries creating an unprecedented humanitarian project.

“There have been reports of numerous violations of international humanitarian law committed by Russian troops, including indiscriminate shelling of living areas, hospitals and kindergartens, the plundering of public and private property, and wanton destruction of civilian Infrastructure,” the resolution states,” the resolution states.

Support is also expressed for the leadership of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Ukraine’s armed forces under the command of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi have maintained control over almost the entire territory of Ukraine, including its capital Kyiv and the southern regions of the country, preventing the Russian invaders from achieving any of their predetermined objectives, including the elimination of the democratically elected Ukrainian leadership,” the resolution says.

The county expresses “its undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine, who have already suffered through eight years of war in their country, and condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s actions against Ukraine and pays tribute to the tremendous courage shown by the people of Ukraine, their heroic president Zelenskyi and the brave soldiers who are defending their country against the Russian invaders.”

The county calls for the Russian Federation to immediately terminate all military activities in Ukraine, unconditionally withdraw all military and paramilitary forces and military equipment from the entire internationally recognized territory of Ukraine “and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognized borders.”

Citing the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the United State imported an average of 209,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 500,000 barrels per day of other petroleum products from Russia in 2021, and pointed out the use of Russian oil by the U.S. is paying for Russia’s war of aggression, “is causing untold suffering of the Ukrainian people and placing the remainder of the world on the brink of war.”

Accordingly, the county commission ruled that no Socorro County funds shall be used to purchase any oil or products from the Russian Federation in order to do its part in stopping funding for the Russian war machine.

It also calls for President Biden to take necessary steps to increase oil and  gas production in the United States and the State of New Mexico “to once again be energy independent and stop importing oil from nations hostile to the US and the remainder of the free world.”

The commission calls on the free world to support their struggle for peace and freedom with all means at its disposal.

County Manager Michael Hawkes said the commissioners requested the resolution be shared with other county governments in New Mexico.