In Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives: Roger Wicker, Kevin Cramer, Marc Veasey, and Dan Crenshaw.
The Head of State thanked the senators and representatives for their unwavering bipartisan support for Ukraine and our people. The President described the visit as an important signal that support will continue, which is especially needed during these days and weeks of nonstop Russian strikes on our cities.
“This is an important signal during nights as tough as these, but not only, because we have massive attacks happening day and night – 24/7. We are grateful for your support, and, of course, we count on unanimity. We need your unanimity,” the Head of State said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed the delegation on the battlefield situation and underscored that Russia is not achieving what it wanted on the front lines and is trying to make up for it through escalation. Throughout the meeting in Kyiv, an air raid alert remained in effect because of the threat of jet-powered “shaheds.” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that, in the capital alone, and just since the beginning of this month, the Russians had damaged two schools with these drones and struck bridges, energy, and other critical infrastructure.
Members of the delegation expressed their support for Ukraine and described Russia’s air attacks on civilians as horrific.
“We share your sadness, and we share your outrage over these attacks. And we came because we want this visit to be seen as a sign of strong support – support from both Democrats and Republicans,” U.S. Senator Roger Wicker said.
The President stressed that protecting against this terror requires joint efforts. During the meeting, the participants discussed how the United States can help save lives. The Head of State and the U.S. congressional delegation also discussed Ukraine’s challenges and needs ahead of winter, the importance of the PURL initiative, and international assistance to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the significance of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia to intensify diplomatic efforts.
“Of course, we expect the Lindsey Graham Act to be implemented. This is a matter of political will, and it is now important to show leadership and fully cut off the financial flows sustaining Russia’s war machine,” the Head of State said.
A separate focus of the discussion was the steps needed to expedite the licensing process for the production of Patriot missiles. Ukraine is ready not only to produce ballistic missile interceptors for its own needs, but also to strengthen the United States and its allies through joint production.