Pelosi, lawmakers meet Zelensky in Kyiv: ‘America stands firmly with Ukraine’

“Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi told Zelensky in a meeting that took place Saturday evening local time.

In a video posted by Zelensky on Sunday, Pelosi was seen walking the streets of Ukraine’s capital with House lawmakers, including Intelligence Committee Chair Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), Foreign Affairs Chair Gregory W. Meeks (N.Y.), Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern (Mass.) and Rep. Jason Crow (Colo.).

Pelosi is second in line to the presidency after the vice president. Other high-level U.S. officials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, made their own visit to Ukraine’s capital last week.

Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee (Calif.) and Bill Keating (Mass.) were also in the delegation, which has now left Ukraine for Poland for meetings with Polish President Andrzej Duda and senior officials, according to a statement from Pelosi’s office.

The trip had not been announced before Zelensky shared visuals on Sunday, with a caption praising the United States for being a leader in support of Ukraine.

“Thank you for helping to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state!” he wrote on Twitter.

The lawmakers, in a statement, said Zelensky began the meeting by thanking the Americans for “the substantial assistance that we have provided.”

“Our delegation proudly delivered the message that additional American support is on the way, as we work to transform President Biden’s strong funding request into a legislative package,” the statement added.

The meeting with Zelensky occurred Saturday evening, Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said in an email to The Washington Post.

“Our delegation traveled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine,” the lawmakers said in the statement.

President Biden unveiled a sweeping, new $33 billion spending package Thursday that would provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, asking Congress to swiftly approve funds to help Kyiv in what may be decisive phase in its war with Russia.

Biden seeks a dramatic increase in aid for Ukraine

As Blinken and Austin visited Kyiv briefly last week, the United States announced that it would bring diplomats back to Ukraine, though only on a daily basis and not in the capital, as some European nations have done, amid ongoing security concerns due to Russian shelling.

Diplomats will begin by making day trips from Poland to Ukraine’s western city of Lviv as a first step to reopening the U.S. Embassy that was shuttered before the invasion.

Poland, where the congressional delegation will visit next, is a member of NATO and the European Union.It has taken in more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees, by far the most out of any nation, according to U.N. figures.

Zelensky’s announcement of the meeting with lawmakers preceded the confirmation of the visit by Pelosi’s office.

Before Austin and Blinken visited Kyiv, Zelensky also announced that the U.S. officials would be coming.

A pair of Republican lawmakers, Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.) and Rep. Victoria Spartz (Ind.), visited Ukraine this month in a hastily arranged visit upon the invitation of the Ukrainian government.

They were the first U.S. officials to visit Ukraine since the invasion. Daines was visiting other parts of Eastern Europe and made a last-minute switch to go to Ukraine and Spartz, the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress, was planning an unofficial visit on her own, the New York Times reported.

A string of world leaders and top officials have visited Ukraine to showcase their support since Russia’s invasion, including European Council President Charles Michel, who met with Zelensky in Kyiv last month, calling the capital the “heart of a free and democratic Europe.”

On a visit to survey the damage in the town of Borodyanka, Michel vowed that “history would not forget” the atrocities committed by Russian forces. Michel also noted that the European Council was working to fast-track discussion of Ukraine’s application to join the European Union, with an update expected from the European Commission by the end of June.

European Council chief Michel in Ukraine: ‘History will not forget’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson have also made the journey to Ukraine amid Russia’s bombardment of the country — along with the Czech, Polish and Slovenian prime ministers. In remarks made during his unannounced meeting with Zelensky, Johnson said his visit was a show of Britain’s “unwavering support for the people of Ukraine” and pledged further support for the war effort.

Zelensky praises Boris Johnson’s support on sanctions, aid after surprise visit

Following Johnson’s trip, the Russian government banned him and other senior British politicians from entering Russia and cited Britain’s “unprecedented hostile actions” over the war in Ukraine for the decision.