House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has become the most senior U.S. lawmaker to meet face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his war-torn country since the Russian invasion after leading a congressional delegation in an unannounced visit to Kyiv over the weekend.
The California Democrat said Sunday the lawmakers discussed the need for continued assistance and delivered a message of unity in their meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy.
“Our delegation traveled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine,” Mrs. Pelosi said in a statement.
She said Mr. Zelenskyy thanked the lawmakers for the U.S.’ assistance and “conveyed the clear need for continued security, economic and humanitarian assistance from the United States to address the devastating human toll taken on the Ukrainian people by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s diabolic invasion.”
Last week, President Biden requested an additional $33.4 billion in Ukraine aid from Congress, including $20 billion in security assistance, $8.5 billion in economic assistance and $3 billion in humanitarian assistance.
The Biden administration has provided nearly $3.4 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in late February.
Mrs. Pelosi said the delegation included Democratic Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, James McGovern and William Keating of Massachusetts, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee of California, and Jason Crow of Colorado. They told Mr. Zelenskyy “additional American support is on the way, as we work to transform President Biden’s strong funding request into a legislative package,” she said.
Following their visit to Ukraine, the lawmakers traveled to Poland, where they met with President Andrzej Duda and senior officials.
“This is a time we stand up for democracy or we allow autocracy to rule the day,” Mr. Meeks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters in Poland on Sunday.
Mr. Crow, a member of the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, stressed the importance of arming the Ukrainians and ensuring Russia is defeated.
“We have to make sure the Ukrainians have what they need to win,” Mr. Crow said. “What we have seen in the last two months is their ferocity, their intense pride, their ability to fight, and their ability to win if they have the support to do so.”
“The United States of America is in this to win, and we will stand with Ukraine until victory is won,” he added.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.