U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Chris Coons (D-DE) “vowed that bipartisan support would continue for Ukraine after next week’s midterm congressional elections,” Reuters reported in the wake of the senators’ visit in Kyiv on Thursday.
“It’s in America’s national security interest that Russia does not succeed (in Ukraine),” Portman was quoted as saying.
“We are here today to underscore the broad support that continues to exist in Congress for the Ukrainian people. We met with President Zelensky to discuss Ukraine’s needs as it continues to defend itself against this brutal Russian invasion and to show American solidarity with the Ukrainian people. President Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the American people for the critical security, economic, and humanitarian assistance we continue to provide,” reads a joint statement by the two senators published on Portman’s official site.
The visit also included meetings with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, and other Ukrainian officials, according to the statement. The senators also toured the headquarters of Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian energy company, which was damaged in an attack by Russian forces.
“We can now see that Putin’s goal is to get Ukraine afraid by trying to make the winter dark and cold,” Coons was quoted by Reuters as saying said after the senators had visited an energy facility that Coons said had been hit by a Russian strike using an Iranian-supplied drone.
“The visit comes amid speculation that the Republicans, seen as favorites to take control of the House of Representatives after Tuesday’s midterm elections, could dampen U.S. support for Ukraine,” according to Reuters.
Senator Portman is co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Ukraine Caucus and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Coons is Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
U.S. Senator Robert Portman and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed our shared goal of a more stable, prosperous, democratic, and free Ukraine, including judicial, defense, and economic reforms. @senrobportman @TheBankova pic.twitter.com/nKoH9B3DAs
— U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) May 30, 2019
