U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, and U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) issued the following joint statement on June 2 following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian government officials.
The purpose of this delegation’s mission is to show U.S. solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression and its right to sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as encourage progress on democratic reforms. In our meeting with President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials, we reaffirmed that bipartisan promise to support our partners as they work to strengthen their democracy to build a more prosperous future for the people of Ukraine.
Ukraine faces several challenges, so it is critical that the United States remain a committed partner to encourage work to root out corruption and strengthen democratic institutions so Ukraine can realize its goal in becoming a member of NATO and the EU, further fortifying the transatlantic alliance. Enhancing our international partnerships is crucial to the United States’ national security and bolsters global stability in the face of an increasingly belligerent and revisionist Russia. It is in the United States’ national interest to support Ukraine in these efforts and we encourage our Ukrainian partners to stay the course.