US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a surprise visit to Kyiv announced on Sunday (1).
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“Thank you to the United States for your contribution to protecting our state’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zelenskyy tweeted in a message that included video showing him alongside armed guards as he met Pelosi and a congressional delegation at the entrance to the presidency headquarters received in Kyiv, and then at a meeting with the Americans.
“The US government is leading in providing solid support to Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression,” added the Ukrainian president.
The US delegation, which will also travel to southeastern Poland and Warsaw, said in a statement the visit to Kyiv was intended to “send an unequivocal and vehement message to the world: the United States stands with Ukraine.”
“Additional American support is on the way,” Washington congressmen said. They also stated that they will “transform President (Joe) Biden’s strong call for funding into a legislative package.”
Zelenskyi hailed the “very important signals” presented by the United States and Biden, including a program for Ukraine similar to that created during World War II to supply allied countries with war material without directly intervening in the conflict.
“These are recent important advances in military and financial support to Ukraine…for which we are grateful,” Zelenskyy said.
The visit comes a week after US diplomat Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Kyiv.
During their visit, the two announced the gradual return of Washington’s diplomatic presence in Kyiv and additional direct and indirect assistance of more than $700 million.