Adam Schiff, chairman of the US House of Commons, described the congressional delegation’s meeting with Kiev President Volodymyr Gelensky in Kiev on Sunday for about three hours, and said he considered it “a matter of time” before US President Joe Biden arrived in Ukraine.
I think the president’s visit is something under consideration, but the only question is how soon it will be possible, “Schiff told CNN’s Jim Acosta.
Schiff said the meeting with Zelensky focused on what his priorities for further assistance were, especially as Ukrainians are entering a new phase of the war with more intense fighting in the east of the country. Members of the delegation then briefed Biden on the call, Schiff said, and made recommendations to the president.
When asked what Zhelensky thinks about the $ 33 billion price tag that Biden asked for in his support for Congress in Ukraine, Schiff said: “His job is to say that nothing is enough. You know, we value it. However, I think he’s very grateful for what we do. . “
“Within that huge amount, we wanted to discuss with him what weapons he needed and what other assistance he needed as a priority,” Schiff said. “We had a detailed discussion of the next stage of the war. From a point where the Ukrainians were ambushing Russian tanks – it was a close battle – it was moving from long-range artillery to long-range combat. It was changing the nature of Ukraine’s need to defend itself.”
Schiff said they discussed a variety of issues, including making sure he had the military equipment he needed and could get it quickly. They discussed the humanitarian crisis, refugees, and war crimes, and he said, “As head of intelligence, I want to make sure he gets the intelligence he needs.”
Schiff said team members at the meeting wanted to communicate a message of support with Zhelensky because “if Russia can get rid of this, this naked aggression, this invasion of their neighbors, you know, what will they think? Stop with Ukraine.”
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