Blumenthal & Himes Visit Ukraine
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Jim Himes (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, have just returned from a weeklong visit to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and to participate in the Black Sea Security Forum (BSSF) in Odesa.
“This tenth trip to Ukraine felt different than the ones before; again and again, we were hustled down dark stairwells into bunkers as Putin attacked the country with missiles and drones, escalating cruelty that signals his desperation. Ukrainian heroism is turning the tide, with undeniable indelible costs. We saw the bombed and burned-out apartments and malls, still smelling of fire,” Blumenthal said. “We met with rescue workers who rushed into the flames seeking to save helpless civilian victims. We spoke with children kidnapped and held by Russia— among the more than 20,000 taken by force and often compelled to fight for Russia. We met with President Zelenskyy and top members of his team who showed a clear-eyed strategy and unshakable resolve to prevail. We heard soldiers ready to return to the fight despite their injuries. Most impressively, amidst all the pain and grief, we saw a kindness and humanity in Ukrainians reaching out and caring for each other— offering food, shelter, clothing—a moving antithesis to Putin’s bloody aggression.”
“It is impossible to spend time with President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people without being overwhelmed by their unwavering resolve. In conversations with government officials, soldiers, and local humanitarian groups, Senator Blumenthal and I heard again and again a unanimous message of resilience, but also an urgent need for additional military and economic assistance,” Himes said. “The Russian military is losing ground on the battlefield and suffering staggering losses along the way. Support from the Russian public is crumbling—they are tired of paying for a dictator’s ambition with the blood of their sons. With Putin on his backheel, now is the time for Congress to renew our support for our Ukrainian allies and to help them finally achieve a just and lasting peace. To do otherwise would put global stability at risk— signaling weakness to our adversaries and betraying the democratic values we hold dear.”
Over two days in Kyiv, Blumenthal and Himes met with military and political leaders, including President Zelenskyy; Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament; and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov. The members also met with humanitarian groups currently working on the frontlines of the war, and Save Ukraine, an aid group specializing in the rehabilitation and reintegration of children who were kidnapped by Russian soldiers.
Blumenthal and Himes visited Darnytskyi, an urban district of Kyiv, and the site of Russian drone strikes over the last several days that have injured numerous citizens and caused major structural damage. They also met with sanctions experts from the Kyiv School of Economics who stressed the need for additional sanctions on the Russian government and nations who continue to purchase Russian oil and gas products.
While in Odesa, Blumenthal participated in a panel discussion at BSSF entitled, “From Pawn to Queen: What Defines a Great Power?” During the forum, Blumenthal and Himes spoke to national security experts and commentators on the nature of political resolve in wartime. The members also visited the Port of Odesa, a critical trade hub, to discuss the impact of recent Russian arial attacks on grain shipments and the impact of those strikes on the global economy. Blumenthal also met with over 500 leaders from Ukraine’s faith communities and commended them on the support and care they provide to thousands of families affected by the war.
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