House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has led a delegation to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Pelosi is now the highest ranking U.S. politician to visit Ukraine during the war, with the surprise visit adding to the growing momentum behind the West's support for the country's fight against Russia.
The trip comes as Moscow's refocused military campaign in Ukraine's east struggles to make significant gains and Kyiv's allies step up with increasing military supplies — both sides seem to settle in for a prolonged conflict.
According to a video posted early Sunday by Zelenskyy's official Telegram account, Pelosi said he was visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom. Your fight is for everyone, and our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done. Zelenskyy said he was very grateful for this powerful signal of support. This shows that the United States today is a leader in strong support for Ukraine during the war against the Russian Federation aggression, Zelenskyy said.
Among those with Pelosi on the trip were Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Gregory Meeks, D-NY, and Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
The trip is the second major visit by American officials in the span of a week. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Zelenskyy last Sunday and made promises of military and diplomatic support.
The U.S. and many countries in Europe have pledged to send a variety of defensive weapons to help Ukraine hold off Russian advances.
Russia has not taken those developments lightly.
In a move to cut off gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria, escalating rhetoric from the Kremlin and state media have pushed analysts to believe that Ukraine is now just one part of a multi-front battle between Russia and the West.
Pelosi said in a statement posted to the speaker's website that the trip was meant to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine. The delegation will be traveling to Poland to meet President Andrzej Duda, and it said that the trip will inform legislation meant to support Ukraine.
President Joe Biden asked Congress on Thursday for a new $33 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy expressed the clear need for continued security, economic and humanitarian assistance from the United States to address the devastating human toll taken on the Ukrainian people by Putin's diabolic invasion, and our delegation proudly said that additional American support is on the way as we work to transform President Biden's strong funding request into a legislative package. Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. and Bill Keating, D-Mass. The delegation was also part of the delegation, though it was not clear if they made the trip to Kyiv.
The country warned its resources for handling an influx of more than 3 million refugees fleeing the war are dwindling, as the group traveled to Poland. The NATO member, which is dealing with the Russian gas cutoff, has been a crucial hub for Western weapons and aid shipments to neighboring Ukraine.