By VANESSA GERA, NICOLE WINFIELD and LISA MASCARO
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A top-level U.S. congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the “ferocity” and resolve of Ukrainians head to head with their chief in a weekend go to to Kyiv undertaken in extraordinary secrecy.
Pelosi, second in line to the presidency after the vp, was essentially the most senior American lawmaker to go to Ukraine since Russia’s conflict started greater than two months in the past. Only days earlier, Russia bombed the Ukrainian capital whereas the U.N. secretary-general was there.
Pelosi and the half dozen U.S. lawmakers together with her met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his prime aides for 3 hours late Saturday to voice American solidarity with the besieged nation and get a first-hand evaluation of the trouble as she works to steer an enormous new Ukraine help bundle by Congress.
“Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi is seen telling Zelenskyy in a video of the assembly launched by his workplace. “We are on a frontier of freedom and your fight is a fight for everyone. Thank you for your fight for freedom.”
“You all are welcome,” Zelenskyy informed the delegation.
Pelosi informed reporters in Poland on Sunday the delegation was proud to convey to Zelenskyy “the message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their courage.” She is ready to satisfy Polish President Andrzej Duda, a NATO ally, on Monday in Warsaw.
The delegation’s journey to Kyiv was not disclosed till the get together was safely out of Ukraine. Nor had been particulars given on how they bought to the capital and again. Per week earlier, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Zelenskyy traveled to Kyiv overland from Poland for talks with Zelenskyy.
The members of the congressional delegation had been unanimous in praising Ukraine’s defenses, in portray the battle of 1 nearly as good in opposition to evil and in assuring continued long-term U.S. navy, humanitarian and financial help.
“This is a struggle of freedom against tyranny,” stated Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence committee.
The journey got here two days after U.S. President Joe Biden requested Congress for $33 billion to bolster Ukraine’s struggle in opposition to Russia, greater than twice the dimensions of the preliminary $13.6 billion help measure that now’s virtually drained. The measure is designed to sign to Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. weaponry and different types of help aren’t going away.
Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran and a member of the House intelligence and armed companies committees, stated he went to Ukraine with three areas of focus: “Weapons, weapons and weapons.”
“We have to make sure the Ukrainians have what they need to win,” he stated. “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.”
Scores of U.S. lawmakers are trekking to the area to witness first hand the conflict’s toll and shore up U.S. troops within the broader area. Pelosi’s delegation was notable for the seniority of its members.
The journey additionally underscored Pelosi’s stature as an envoy on the worldwide stage. The speaker is well-known in Europe and elsewhere overseas, sometimes leads journey delegations and retains shut relations with allies abroad.
Though all within the delegation had been Democrats, the U.S. Congress has displayed a uncommon and, to this point, lasting bipartisan resolve to again Ukraine because it battles Russia. Pelosi has branded the conflict a battle between democracy and autocracy and vowed Washington will stand with Ukraine till it defeats the invaders.
Pelosi got here with Rep. Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, chair of the House Rules Committee; Reps. Barbara Lee of California and Bill Keating of Massachusetts, Crow and Schiff.
“This is a time we stand up for democracy or we allow autocracy to rule the day,” Meeks stated. Crow stated the U.S. “is in this to win, and we will stand with Ukraine until victory is won.”
Schiff, as intelligence panel chair, stated he was notably centered on ensuring Ukraine is getting the U.S. intelligence help it must “defeat Russian forces.”
The delegation’s go to adopted these of a number of EU officers and European heads of state who’ve gone to indicate solidarity with Zelenskyy, beginning with the March 15 shock go to by the leaders of NATO members Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia.
More just lately, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday. A missile strike rained down on the capital barely an hour after their joint press convention, an assault Kyiv’s mayor stated was Putin giving his “middle finger” to Guterres.
The delegation was visiting southeast Poland and going later to the capital. Poland has acquired greater than 3 million refugees from Ukraine since Russia launched its conflict on Feb. 24.
“We look forward to thanking our Polish allies for their dedication and humanitarian efforts,” Pelosi stated.
McGovern stated Russia’s conflict had repercussions far past Ukraine and was exacerbating a meals disaster that will be disastrous for poor individuals throughout the globe.
“Putin’s brutal war is no longer only a war against the people of Ukraine,” McGovern stated. “It’s also a war against the world’s most vulnerable.”
He added: “I don’t think that Putin cares if he starves the world.”
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Winfield reported from Rome, Mascaro from Washington.
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A earlier model of this story was corrected to indicate that Pelosi is second in line to the presidency, not third.
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More AP protection of the conflict at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Source: www.bostonherald.com”