In Munich, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators: Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner, Chris Coons, Sheldon Whitehouse, Peter Welch, Mark Kelly, Lisa Murkowski, Jacky Rosen, Elissa Slotkin, Andy Kim, Roger Wicker, and Ruben Gallego.
The Head of State thanked the senators for their unwavering bipartisan support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and expressed special gratitude to the United States of America for the air defense systems that have saved thousands of lives, as well as for the PURL initiative. Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal the Order of Yaroslav the Wise, I class.
The senators expressed their support for Ukraine and noted the courage of Ukrainian warriors.
The President informed them about the ongoing massive Russian attacks on our energy system, which have left many cities and villages without electricity and heat. In Kyiv alone, more than 200 repair crews are currently involved in restoration work. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine needs additional generators and transformers to strengthen energy resilience, as well as additional air defense missiles to protect infrastructure from Russian strikes.
“We are facing too many attacks every day – two major large-scale attacks in one week. Throughout the winter, there were massive attacks involving 300–500 Iranian drones, as well as 25–45 missiles, mostly ballistic,” the Head of State said.
Special attention was given to the negotiation process and the meetings of the negotiating teams. The President emphasized that increasing pressure on Russia through stronger sanctions could significantly intensify diplomatic efforts. The senators support the position that pressure on the Russian leader should be increased and stated their firm determination to pass a sanctions bill against Russia in the near future.
“I believe that Putin is not ready for serious negotiations. I think we have made progress, but he believes that over time he will be able to seize Donbas. And he will not stop until the pressure increases,” Lindsey Graham said.
The meeting also addressed work on security guarantees for Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that clarity and precise understanding of each point are crucial for the Ukrainian society’s trust in the security guarantees document. No one wants a repeat of the Budapest Memorandum. That is why it is extremely important for all Ukrainians that the security guarantees be ratified by the United States Congress.
In their comments, the senators emphasized their support for strong and reliable security guarantees that will provide the necessary protection and prevent a recurrence of aggression.
In addition, the President provided a detailed update on the situation on the frontline and the level of Russian losses.
