Meeting Focuses on Bipartisan Backing and Sanctions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. He shared details of the meeting in a post on X.
In a video attached to the post, Blumenthal thanked Zelenskyy and said the senators wanted to hear how they could provide more help. In response, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for what he called strong bipartisan American support for Ukraine and ongoing peace efforts.
Children Returned and Humanitarian Efforts
Before meeting Zelenskyy, the senators met with Ukrainian children who had been returned from Russia. Zelenskyy described that moment as deeply important. He thanked the lawmakers for taking time to meet with the children and recognize their situation.
Pressure on Moscow and Sanctions
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy stressed that sanctions remain one of the strongest tools to influence Moscow. He pointed to a sanctions bill currently under consideration in the Senate and said he expects it to have an impact.
In addition, he briefed the senators on continued Russian strikes across Ukraine. He said some attacks have also affected American businesses operating there. Therefore, he argued that using frozen Russian assets to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses would be fair.
Specifically, Zelenskyy said officials discussed the possibility of using immobilized Russian funds to purchase missiles for Patriot air defense systems. According to him, those systems remain critical for protecting civilians and infrastructure.
Ongoing War and U.S. Mediation
At the same time, President Donald Trump has attempted to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. However, the conflict continues despite diplomatic efforts.
Zelenskyy closed his message by thanking the U.S. president, Congress, and the American people for their continued backing.
