On 12 September 2017, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij fulfilled a working visit to Washington, U.S.A., where he met with high-ranking government officials, and addressed a reception on the occasion of the 26th Anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine and the 25th Anniversary of Ukraine-U.S. Diplomatic Relations.
During his meetings with U.S. high-ranking officials, the UWC President called for the U.S. to continue demonstrating strong support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity by supplying military assistance to Ukraine and increasing sanctions against the Russian Federation so as to ensure that Ukraine overcomes Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea. In addition, Eugene Czolij raised the importance of providing Ukraine with a Marshall Plan to enable it to deal with the devastation resulting from Russian aggression and continue with much-needed reforms. He also discussed a UN peacekeeping mission to Eastern Ukraine and an OSCE monitoring mission in Crimea.
The UWC President also met with the Vice Premier of Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze and Ambassador Valeriy Chaly to discuss recent developments in Ukraine, the continued European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine and the upcoming UWC conferences in New York and Brussels.
Eugene Czolij then addressed a reception at the United States Institute of Peace, in which he highlighted Ukraine’s successes over the last 26 years, including the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement which came into force on 1 September 2017 and the visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens into the Schengen area as of 11 June 2017. He also acknowledged the strong signal sent by the international community of its aversion to Russian aggression by the marching of the U.S., Canadian, Australian and European countries’ armed forces alongside the Ukrainian armed forces during the parade on Ukraine’s Independence Day. The UWC President also stated unequivocally that the Ukrainian people, with the support of the Ukrainian diaspora and the international community, will overcome the Russian aggression.
In turn, Ambassador Valeriy Chaly highlighted the 50th anniversary of the UWC and thanked the UWC and its member organizations, including the Ukrainian American community, for their long-standing strong support of Ukraine.
During the meetings the UWC President was accompanied by Michael Sawkiw, Executive Vice President of UCCA, a UWC member organization.
“The Ukrainian World Congress acknowledges with gratitude the valuable support of the U.S.A. for Ukraine during these challenging times and calls on the American authorities to continue actively assisting Ukraine in overcoming Russian aggression and thereby to secure peace and stability in Europe,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
List of individuals with whom the UWC President met:
Chaly Valeriy, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States
Keiner Orly, Foreign Policy Officer, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, USA
Klympush-Tsintsadze Ivanna, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
Lepik Lauri, Ambassador of Estonia to the United States
Purser Benjamin, Professional Staff Member at the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate
Reisser Wesley, Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, Office of Human Rights & Humanitarian Affairs at the United States Department of State, Bureau of International Organizations
Zappel Kimberly, Ukraine Desk Officer at the U.S. Department of State
The UWC President also spoke to:
Congresswoman Kaptur Marcy, Ohio’s Ninth Congressional District
Congressman Lamborn Doug, Colorado’s Fifth Congressional District
E. Czolij speaks at a reception on the occasion of the 26th Anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine and 25th Anniversary of Ukraine-U.S. Diplomatic Relations
