As part of his visit to Halifax, Canada, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk held a meeting with a U.S. Congressional delegation led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jim Risch.
Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to the United States of America for its strategic leadership in supporting Ukraine, as well as for the bipartisan and bicameral support from the U.S. Congress.
The meeting focused on the security situation in Ukraine, the urgent needs of Ukraine’s security and defense forces, and the critical decisions Ukraine expects from its allies.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine emphasized that, on the more than 1,000th day of the full-scale war, Russia has resorted to the use of an intercontinental ballistic missile, continues daily shelling of Ukrainian cities, and has deployed soldiers from North Korea. In this context, he called for further defense support for Ukraine.
The parties also discussed strengthening sanctions pressure on Russia. Ruslan Stefanchuk highlighted the importance of the latest U.S. sanctions package targeting the financial sector of the Russian Federation.
Particular attention was given to the issue of scaling up weapons production. Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed that joint efforts by Ukraine and the United States in this area are a priority and had a substantive discussion with the delegation about expanding cooperation.