Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday as Russia’s invasion of the country drags into its seventh month.
The pair of senators also met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and other senior Ukrainian leaders. They said they traveled to the war-torn country to see Russia’s invasion firsthand, and to reaffirm the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine, NATO and other allies in the area.
“Our trip to Kyiv not only offered the opportunity to witness the steadfast resolve of the people but also the leadership of President Zelenskyy and his team,” Portman, co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.
“Now more than ever the United States must stand with our ally Ukraine to send the message to Russia and the world that we will not stand by while sovereign countries are invaded. Ukraine deserves to be free and we will not stop until Russian troops are out of Ukraine,” he added.
Klobuchar said her and Portman traveled to Ukraine and met with top officials “to discuss the status of the war and America's ongoing economic, humanitarian, and military assistance” and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been hit by artillery shells amid the conflict.
The area where the plant is located has been captured by Russian troops, but Ukrainian engineers are still operating it. A group of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to visit the power plant this week to evaluate physical damage to the facility, staff conditions, safety and security systems.
Zelensky said he was “pleased” to welcome Portman and Klobuchar to Ukraine, calling the visit “extremely valuable.”
“The development of the situation...