A congressional delegation from the United States, which included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, visited Ukraine on Sunday. This was the first visit by U.S. congressional officials to the country since Russia invaded in February.
In Kyiv, the MPs met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who documented their encounter online. Zelenskyy described the visit as yet another example of how the U.S. continues to be Ukraine’s strongest supporter.
Apart from Pelosi, other officials present at the meeting included Chairman Jim McGovern, Chairman Gregory Meeks, Chairman Adam Schiff, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Bill Keating, and Congressman Jason Crow.
The delegation is reportedly now in Warsaw, Poland, visiting refugee camps. Since Russia’s invasion in late February, more than 5 million Ukrainians have fled, and Poland has taken in more than half of the refugees. As of this week, around 2.9 million Ukrainians are now in Poland, severely straining the country’s economy and resources. Since the conflict began, the population of Warsaw has increased by 15%.
The U.S. Congress said the delegation’s presence in Ukraine is meant to be a message to the world and to Russia. Officials said the U.S. stands “firmly” with Ukraine, and the country will continue to provide economic and humanitarian assistance to those affected by the war. The delegation reportedly visited Kyiv to inform Ukrainian officials that additional support was already on its way.