Colorado
Colorado’s Jason Crow travels with Nancy Pelosi to Kyiv for meeting with Volodymr Zelenskyy
By Vanesa Gera, The Related Press
WARSAW, Poland — A U.S. congressional delegation led by Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the braveness of the Ukrainian folks in remarks throughout a go to to Poland on Sunday, a day after a shock journey to Kyiv to satisfy with President Volodymr Zelenskyy.
The American legislators assessed Ukraine’s wants for the subsequent part of the struggle, with Pelosi vowing that Washington would stand with the nation till it defeats Russia.
Pelosi, a California Democrat who’s second in line to the presidency after the vice chairman, was essentially the most senior American lawmaker to go to Ukraine since Russia’s struggle started greater than two months in the past. Her beforehand unannounced go to got here simply days after Moscow bombed the Ukrainian capital whereas the U.N. secretary-general was there.
Pelosi and a half-dozen U.S. lawmakers — together with U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Centennial — met for 3 hours late Saturday with Zelenskyy and his high aides to get a first-hand evaluation of the struggle effort thus far. Talking to reporters Sunday in Poland, the delegation members had been unanimous in praising Ukraine’s defenses to date, 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.
“We had been proud to convey to him the message of unity from the Congress of the US, a message of appreciation from the American folks for his management and admiration for the folks of Ukraine for his or her braveness,” Pelosi stated.
Their go to 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 scale of the preliminary $13.6 billion help measure that Congress enacted early final month and now’s nearly drained. With the struggle dragging into its third month, the measure was designed to sign to Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. weaponry and different types of help weren’t going away.
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“It is a time we rise up for democracy or we permit autocracy to rule the day,” stated Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York.
“It is a wrestle of freedom in opposition to tyranny,” stated Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California. “And in that wrestle, Ukraine is on the entrance strains.”
Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, a veteran and a member of the Home intelligence and armed providers committee, stated he got here to Ukraine with three areas of focus: “Weapons, weapons and weapons.”
“We’ve to verify the Ukrainians have what they should win. What now we have seen within the final two months is their ferocity, their intense delight, their capability to struggle and their capability to win if they’ve the help to take action.”
“The USA of America is on this to win, and we’ll stand with Ukraine till victory is received,” he added.
The total congressional delegation included Meeks, who chairs the Home International Affairs Committee; Schiff, who chairs the Home Intelligence Committee; Jim McGovern of Massachusetts who chairs the Home Guidelines Committee; Crow, Barbara Lee of California; and Invoice Keating of Massachusetts.
“You all are welcome,” Zelenskyy informed the delegation, based on a video of the encounter launched by his workplace.
Pelosi informed Zelenskyy: “We imagine that we’re visiting you to say thanks to your struggle for freedom.”
“We’re on a frontier of freedom and your struggle is a struggle for everybody. Our dedication is to be there for you till the struggle is completed,” Pelosi added.
The delegation continued its journey in southeast Poland, and members had been later visiting the capital, Warsaw, to satisfy with President Andrzej Duda and different senior officers. Poland has obtained greater than 3 million refugees from Ukraine since Russia launched its struggle on Feb. 24.
“We sit up for thanking our Polish allies for his or her dedication and humanitarian efforts,” Pelosi stated.
Talking at a information convention in Poland, Pelosi stated she and others within the delegation applauded the braveness of the Ukrainian folks. She added that the delegation introduced Zelenskyy “a message of appreciation from the American folks for his management.”
McGovern stated Russia’s struggle had repercussions far past Ukraine, saying it was exacerbating a meals disaster that may be disastrous for poor folks throughout the globe.
“Putin’s brutal struggle is now not solely a struggle in opposition to the folks of Ukraine,” McGovern stated. “It’s additionally a struggle in opposition to the world’s most susceptible.”
He added that Ukraine is a “breadbasket of the world.”
“I don’t assume that Putin cares if he starves the world,” McGovern stated.
