During a visit to Poland on Sunday, a US congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lauded the courage of the Ukrainian people, a day after a surprise trip to Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine’s needs for the next phase of the war were reviewed by American legislators, with Pelosi saying that Washington would stand by Ukraine until it defeated Russia.
Pelosi, a California Democrat who is second in line to the President after the vice president, was the highest-ranking American legislator to visit Ukraine since Russia’s conflict began nearly two months ago. Her surprise visit occurred just days after Moscow struck Kyiv while the United Nations Secretary-General was in the city.
Pelosi and a half-dozen other US congressmen met with Zelensky and his top advisers for three hours late Saturday to gain a first-hand assessment of the war effort. The delegation members were unified in applauding Ukraine’s defenses thus far, casting the war as one of virtue vs. evil, and guaranteeing sustained long-term military, humanitarian, and economic support from the United States.
“We were happy to deliver to him a message of unity from the United States Congress, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership, and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their bravery,” Pelosi added.
Their visit occurred two days after US President Joe Biden urged Congress for $33 billion to help Ukraine combat Russia, more than double the initial $13.6 billion aid package passed by Congress early last month and now nearly depleted. The move was intended to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that US armament and other forms of assistance were not going away as the war entered its third month.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York, said, “This is a time for us to stand up for democracy or we will enable tyranny to rule the day.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, said, “This is a war of freedom against tyranny.” “And Ukraine is at the forefront of that struggle.”
Rep. Jason Crow, a veteran and member of the House intelligence and armed services committee from Colorado, said he traveled to Ukraine with three goals: “guns, weapons, and weapons.”
“We must ensure that the Ukrainians have everything they require to win.” We’ve seen their ferocity, their strong pride, their ability to battle, and their potential to win if they had the support to do so in the last two months.”
“We are in this to win,” he stated, adding that “we will stand with Ukraine until victory is won.”
Meeks, who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Schiff, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, who chairs the House Rules Committee, Crow, Barbara Lee of California, and Bill Keating of Massachusetts, made up the entire congressional delegation.
According to a video of the meeting posted by Zelensky’s office, Zelensky told the delegation, “You all are welcome.”
“We feel we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom,” Pelosi told Zelensky.
“We are on the precipice of freedom, and your struggle is a struggle for all of us.” Pelosi continued, “Our pledge is to be there for you until the fight is over.”
The delegation resumed their journey in southeast Poland, and members were later scheduled to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other top officials in Warsaw, Poland’s capital. Since Russia’s invasion began on February 24, Poland has taken in more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees.
Pelosi stated, “We look forward to honoring our Polish allies for their dedication and humanitarian efforts.”
Pelosi and other members of the delegation commended the fortitude of the Ukrainian people at a news conference in Poland. The team also handed Zelensky “a letter of gratitude from the American people for his leadership,” she said.
McGovern claimed that Russia’s war had far-reaching consequences beyond Ukraine, claiming that it was worsening a food crisis that would be terrible for the world’s poor.
“Putin’s ruthless campaign is no longer just a battle against the Ukrainian people,” McGovern added. “It’s also a battle against the most vulnerable people on the planet.”
Ukraine, he continued, is a “global breadbasket.”
“I don’t believe Putin cares if the world goes hungry,” McGovern remarked.
