06.16.22

Durbin, Portman, Ukraine Caucus Receive Updates From Members Of The Ukrainian Parliament

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Co-Chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, hosted members of the Ukrainian Parliament so that they could brief members of the Caucus on the latest events regarding Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and how the U.S. Senate can continue to better support our ally through military, economic, and humanitarian assistance.

Ukrainian Parliament members in attendance included David Arakhamia, Yevheniia Kravchuk, Anastasiia Radina, Andriy Kostin, Oleksandra Ustinova, and Rustem Umerov. Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova was also in attendance. The discussion comes on the heels of the 100-day mark of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, which was June 7th.

“Vladimir Putin’s criminal acts in Ukraine represent a dark chapter in world history. As his military continues to attack, innocent Ukrainians are forced to flee and fear for their safety and that of their families,” said Durbin. “Amid such barbarism, the resilience of the Ukrainian people is unparalleled. In speaking with members of Ukraine’s Parliament, I emphasized that I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to provide equipment, tighten economic pressure on Putin and his cronies, and welcome Ukrainian refugees into the U.S.”

“Thank you to the members of Ukraine’s parliament for meeting with us today and giving the caucus an important update on the situation on the ground in Ukraine. Two weeks ago we hit a grim milestone – 100 days of this brutal and unprovoked war. While Russia has not been able to claim victory like they thought they would, they are making incremental advances in the Donbas region and elsewhere. It is more important than ever to do everything in our power to help our ally Ukraine defeat Putin,” said Portman. “This will require the Biden administration to send additional weaponry more quickly. We must also work to end the blockade of Ukrainian ports immediately as the current situation is leading to food shortages around the world. Food should never be used as a weapon during wartime.”

Photos of the meeting are available here.

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