Ukrainians in Сongress: Key takeaways from Ukrainian Week in Washington

This was stated by Ukrainian MP Mykola Knyazhytskyi during his visit to Washington for the Ukrainian Week — an annual event aimed at strengthening Ukrainian-American relations. 

"I remember the times when America struggled to vote for billions of dollars in support for Ukraine because there weren’t enough votes in Congress. But back then, the vote was not just about us—it was also for Israel and Taiwan. Israeli and Taiwanese lawmakers were in all the corridors of Congress and the Senate, while Ukrainians were not," Knyazhytskyi noted.

According to him, at that time, allies from Lithuania and other NATO countries directly urged Ukrainian politicians to be more active in Washington to explain the situation from the inside. "They asked: why are you sitting in Kyiv? Go and work. And now, finally, the Ukrainian political class has heard this," the MP emphasized.

Knyazhytskyi pointed out that the situation has changed today—during the Ukrainian Week, Ukrainian representatives are meeting with members of Congress, explaining the situation, and working to strengthen U.S. support. "The United States is our most important ally, and this trip is extremely important and highly productive," he concluded.

"It is very important today to communicate Ukraine’s position at all levels in the U.S., to demonstrate that our country can win this war, and that it is crucial to continue providing financial, military, and humanitarian support. We have arrived as part of a strong delegation... This is an opportunity to reiterate that supporting Ukraine is a shared value and fully aligns with America's interests," said Ukrainian MP Pavlo Frolov. 

Ukrainian Week in Washington is taking place from February 3 to 8 and includes various meetings, a leadership forum, a business forum, an exhibition of projects supporting Ukraine, a family and demographics forum, a prayer breakfast, and many other events—all aimed at developing and strengthening humanitarian, economic, cultural, and political relations between the two countries.

"Ukrainian Week in Washington is a unique opportunity for all Ukrainians to gather once a year. This includes active youth, Christians, our businesspeople, and everyone who supports Ukraine through prayer, donations, and humanitarian aid," said Pavlo Unguryan, founder of Ukraine Week and chairman of the supervisory board of the Ukraine Recovery Alliance.

This year, the Ukrainian delegation includes MPs, businesspeople, public figures, military personnel, chaplains, and clergy. The delegation is also joined by Yaroslav Bazylevych from Lviv and Maksym Kulyk from Kryvyi Rih—each of them lost their wives and three children due to Russian attacks. They came to personally convey to the world the devastating war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

• Ukraine's Defense Ministry claims that about 70% of the weapons used by the Ukrainian army on the battlefield are internationally donated by partners.