U.S. Congressmen Wittman and Trone visit Kyiv, meet with Umerov and Stefanchuk

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine reported the arrival of a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives led by Rob Wittman, Vice Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. The delegation also includes Representative David Trone.

“Their bipartisan visit underscores U.S. support for Ukraine in Congress and our enduring commitment to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s illegal aggression,” the statement said. 

The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, noted that this is the fourth U.S. delegation to visit the Ukrainian parliament in the last two weeks. 

He said that he thanked the United States for all the assistance provided and emphasized the importance of bipartisan and bicameral support from Congress. Stefanchuk also discussed the security situation with the congressmen, namely the strengthening of military support and training for Ukrainian soldiers. 

“I noted that it is critically important for us to lift all restrictions on the use of our partners' weapons and to be able to defend ourselves, in particular by striking at Russian military targets. To protect people and infrastructure, Ukraine needs enhanced military support. I have emphasized this. Our needs include additional air defense systems, artillery, and combat aircraft,” Stefanchuk added. 

At the same time, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov briefed his American partners on the current situation at the front, particularly in the areas adjacent to the Sumy region. He noted that Ukraine's goal there is to eliminate Russian military threats on the border, which will make it impossible for Russia to shell and attack towns and villages.

“We also discussed the important needs of the Ukrainian army. I emphasized the need to obtain prompt permission from our allies to fully use long-range weapons against targets in Russia. This is a matter of protecting our peaceful cities and villages. We also discussed preparations for the next meeting in the Ramstein format and how to make it as effective as possible,” Umerov said. 

• On August 12, a U.S. bipartisan delegation arrived in Kyiv, including Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal. They called on their administration to lift restrictions on Ukrainian military strikes on Russian territory.