President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a delegation of the United States Congress, which is currently visiting Ukraine. The U.S. parliamentary delegation includes Senators Lindsey Graham, John Barrasso, Tommy Tuberville, Ben Sasse and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, William Timmons.
"I am glad to welcome you to Ukraine. A few days ago we were in your country, and today you are here. This testifies to the great support of Ukraine from the United States," the head of state said.
The President thanked the members of the delegation for the constant bipartisan and bicameral support of Ukraine in the U.S. Congress, as well as the support of the efforts of our country in deterring the aggression of the Russian Federation.
The representatives of the Congress were briefed on the key results of the visit of the Head of the Ukrainian State to the United States. In this context, the agreement on updating the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership and the start of the work of the updated Strategic Partnership Commission was highly commended.
Zelenskyy noted the importance of the support of the U.S. Congress for the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit, primarily those that concern enhancing cooperation in the security and defense spheres.
The President said that the Plan for the Transformation and Strengthening of Ukraine's Resilience, recently presented in Washington, opens up opportunities for the development of a new quality of partnership between our state and the United States in the field of economy, investment and sectoral cooperation. A significant part of this plan is devoted to the "green" transformation and modernization of the Ukrainian economy based on the principles of sustainable development and decarbonization. Zelenskyy expressed hope that the United States will actively join the implementation of this ambitious plan.
The head of state briefed the members of the U.S. Congress on the situation with security in the eastern part of Ukraine and along the Ukrainian borders. During the meeting, the military authorities from the Joint Forces Operation area in the Donbas, in particular from Avdiyivka, Maryinka and Zolote, joined the conversation through a video link.
The parties exchanged views on the security situation in the region and developments in Belarus. The President of Ukraine said that the active phase of the Zapad 2021 joint military drills of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, which are a security challenge for the region, is about to begin.
Zelenskyy thanked the United States for supporting the establishment of the Crimea Platform. As a result of the temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia, the security architecture in the Black Sea-Azov region has been destroyed, the militarization of the peninsula has been launched, and the freedom of navigation is under threat. The head of state stressed the importance of U.S. support in overcoming these challenges, as well as in enhancing cooperation between the fleets of the Black Sea states.
During the meeting, the implementation of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations was also highlighted.
"We count on the support of the United States regarding the future membership of Ukraine in NATO," the President said.
Senator Lindsay Graham commended Ukraine's cooperation with the United States in the view of the recent events in Afghanistan.
Zelenskyy thanked the members of the U.S. Congress for a clear understanding of the security threats posed by the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project.
"The Kremlin has used and continues to use gas supplies as a weapon. The sanctions pressure on Nord Stream 2 should be maintained," the President of Ukraine said.
During the meeting, they also exchanged views on the progress of our state in implementing key reforms and on further support for the transformation process from the United States.