Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
January 18, 2022
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and a member of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, issued the following statement after meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Shaheen and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine, which included senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees. The trip included Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
In addition to meeting with President Zelenskyy, the delegation also met with the Prime Minister and Ukraine ministers of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Energy and Interior. On Christmas Eve, Senators Shaheen and Portman, along with more than 20 members of the House and Senate, held a video conference call with President Zelenskyy to discuss the security situation in the country. Shaheen also authored an op-ed in the Washington Post with Senator Portman that can be found here.
“Our bipartisan delegation concluded a comprehensive series of meetings with President Zelenskyy and members of his administration, and made clear that the United States is united across party lines in support of Ukraine against Putin’s belligerence,” said Shaheen. “I’m proud to have partnered with Senator Portman to lead this group of lawmakers to reaffirm our nation’s resolve to stand with our democratic partners. I look forward to sharing feedback with our Senate colleagues so we can swiftly get to work on a path forward in Congress to respond to the political situation in Ukraine and Eastern Europe that safeguards Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Europe’s energy security and broader regional stability. Efforts are underway to enhance our laws that will empower the Biden administration with tools to work with our allies to prepare penalties for Putin amid his provocations, and increase aid to Ukraine.”
###