(CNN) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unannounced trip to Ukraine’s capital on Saturday, becoming the highest-ranking US official to meet President Volodymr Zelensky since the war broke out more than two months ago.
Pelosi’s office confirmed the trip in a statement Sunday, saying the president had led an official congressional delegation to Ukraine, the first amid Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky shared a video of their meeting in Kyiv on Sunday and thanked the United States for its powerful support for Ukraine once morest Russian aggression.
“We visit you to say thank you for your fight for freedom, that we are on the frontier of freedom and that your fight is a fight for everyone,” Pelosi told Zelensky in the video. “So our commitment is to be there for you until end the fight.”
Meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives @SpeakerPelosi in Kyiv. The United States is a leader in Ukraine’s strong support in the fight once morest Russian aggression. Thank you for helping to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state! pic.twitter.com/QXSBPFoGQh
– Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) May 1, 2022
His visit comes as the US and its allies step forward to provide long-term support to Ukraine as the fighting continues.
Last week, in response to Zelensky’s pleas, a group of 40 countriess meeting by the United States in Germany agreed to simplify and speed up the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. “We have to move at the speed of war,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who met with Ukraine’s president in Kyiv and Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week.
In this image released by the Presidential Press Office of Ukraine on Sunday, May 1, 2022, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, right, awards the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd degree, to the Speaker of the House of US Representatives Nancy Pelosi in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, April 30, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
The House passed legislation on Thursday that would allow Biden to use a World War II-era law, known as the Lend-Lease Act of 1941, to quickly supply weapons to Ukraine on loan. That law was originally created to help the forces fighting Hitler and reflects the urgency of Congress to support the Ukrainian armed forces.
President Joe Biden also asked Congress for a $33 billion supplemental funding bill to help Ukraine in the coming months as Russia’s brutal and unrelenting war enters a new phase. Biden also outlined a proposal that would put further pressure on Russian oligarchs over the war in Ukraine, including using money from their seized assets to fund Ukraine’s defense.
The package is significantly larger than the other packages that have been put forward, and is more than double the $13.6 billion infusion of military and humanitarian aid that Congress approved last month.
Zelensky stressed the importance of financial assistance in his meeting with Pelosi. “The signals that the United States and President Biden are giving today are very important. These are recent firm steps in defense and financial support for Ukraine, as well as decisions on Lend-Lease, we are grateful for that,” Zelensky said.
The trip to Kyiv for Pelosi, second in line to succeed the president, marks a significant measure of commitment to supporting Ukraine from the highest level of US leadership.
“Our congressional delegation had the solemn opportunity and extraordinary honor to meet with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials in Kyiv,” according to the Press release from Pelosi’s office.
“Our delegation conveyed our respect and gratitude to President Zelensky for his leadership and our admiration for the Ukrainian people for their courage in the fight once morest Russian oppression.”
Zelensky awarded Pelosi the “Order of Princess Olga” for her “significant personal contribution” to strengthening Ukrainian and American ties. Olga was the first woman to rule Kievan Rus, a medieval East Slavic state. The order named following her is awarded to women who have achieved significant success in politics and society, the embodiment of feminine strength in Ukraine.
He also gave Pelosi a Ukrainian flag that he and female members of parliament, including those he recently met with at the US Capitol, had signed, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
Pelosi was joined by several other high-ranking members of Congress, including Gregory Meeks of New York, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Adam Schiff of California, chairman of the Intelligence Committee.
The delegation spent just over three hours in Kyiv, Pelosi’s spokesman, Drew Hammill, said. The American politicians are now in Poland, where they will meet with President Andrzej Duda and other top officials.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference in Rzeszow, Poland, on Sunday, Pelosi said her talks with Zelensky focused on security, humanitarian and economic assistance, and ultimately rebuilding Ukraine.
“We were proud to convey to him a message of unity from the US Congress. A message of thanks from the American people for his leadership and admiration to the people of Ukraine for their courage,” Pelosi said.
“The United States stands with Ukraine, we stand with Ukraine until victory is won, and we stand with NATO.”
CNN’s Sarita Harilela and Sophie Jeong in Hong Kong and Daniella Diaz and Mikayla Bouchard in DC contributed to this report.
