Rep. Panetta, bi-partisan delegation, meet with Zelenskyy
MONTEREY – A bipartisan delegation that included U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, recently traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reaffirm U.S. support, survey the damages of war and provide oversight of assistance.
“Ukraine continues to inspire democracies throughout the world as it continues to fight for its own democracy, autonomy, and humanity,” said Panetta in a press release. “It was very impactful to spend time not only in the country, but also with the people of Ukraine, including its leadership, its soldiers, sailors, and veterans, and its citizens, all of whom are determined to not just survive, but also to succeed.”
The delegation met with the Ukrainian president and key leaders at the forefront of the unprovoked Russian aggression.
“As disheartening as it was to see and hear about the many tragedies of this war, it was heartening to see and hear firsthand how American support, especially our work in Congress to pass legislation for supplemental funding, is properly being used on the battlefield and affecting not just the Ukrainian military efforts, but also the morale of the Ukrainian people,” said Panetta. “As this war of attrition continues, support from democracies around the world, combined with Ukrainian innovation, resilience and determination, is necessary to stop Putin, promote a peaceful outcome and protect the international world order.”
The members of the bipartisan Congressional delegation included Panetta, Rep. Celesta Maloy, Utah-02, and Rep. Donald Norcross, New Jersey-01. They met with Zelenskyy, First Lady Olena Zelenska, Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, as well as military, energy, anti-corruption, and humanitarian leaders. The members of the delegation also held meetings with American embassy officials.
The diplomatic trip occurred Aug. 3–9. The members visited U.S. democratic allies as Ukraine prepares for operations headed into the fall and winter, to discuss the challenges ahead and how U.S. military, energy, humanitarian assistance will be utilized, according to Panetta’s office.
Congressional delegations normally are allowed to only spend less than a day in Ukraine and are confined to the capitol of Kyiv, but Panetta and his colleagues spent five days in Ukraine, according to the release, traveling to the southern seaport city of Odesa and into Bucha, where Russia staged one of its most brutal attacks against Ukrainian citizens who fought and ultimately defeated Russian forces. While in Kyiv, Russia fired Iskander-M ballistic missiles and other air assaults into the capital. The rockets were intercepted by U.S. Patriot missile defense systems that are deployed throughout the city.
The bipartisan delegation also met with Ukrainian veterans, internally displaced citizens and orphans. They also visited Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital which was struck by a Russian missile last month, Saint Andrew’s church in Bucha to pay respects to those murdered by Russian troops at the onset of the invasion, Hansen Ukrainian Mission supporting internally displaced Ukrainians and orphans, and thermal power plants that provide needed energy to Ukraine and other European allies that were destroyed by Russian missile strikes.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta speaks with displaced Ukrainian children and orphans. Panetta continues to fight for a bipartisan, bicameral resolution that strongly condemns the forced adoption of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and calls for the return of Ukrainian children to their home country and their families. (Photo courtesy Rep. Panetta’s Office)Earlier this year, Panetta and a bipartisan majority passed a broad national security package that included $61 billion in security aid for Ukraine and support for the sale of seized Russian assets. This package follows previous appropriations that provided more than $65 billion in humanitarian, military, and economic assistance to U.S. democratic allies.
Panetta’s office says he continues to lead legislation to support Ukrainians in their fight for democracy. Panetta authored and introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Ukraine Human Rights Policy Act that would put in place a mechanism to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its human rights abuses. Panetta also co-leads the bipartisan NO LIMITS Act which would hold Chinese Communist Party military firms assisting Russia in this war accountable. Additionally, Panetta continues to fight for a bipartisan, bicameral resolution that strongly condemns the forced adoption of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and calls for the return of Ukrainian children to their home country and their families.
