In Odesa, US senators call for increased pressure on the aggressor country

A delegation of US senators visited Odesa for the first time since 2022. During the visit, U.S. lawmakers reaffirmed bipartisan support for Ukraine and called for increased pressure on Russia.

This was reported by Yevropeiska Pravda.

According to the publication, the delegation included Gene Shaheen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Coons , and Richard Blumenthal. During their stay in the city, they confirmed the continued bipartisan support for Ukraine both in the U.S. Congress and among American society. This is the first visit of the Senate representatives to Odesa since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The senators emphasized the need for tougher sanctions against Russia and increased assistance to Ukraine to force the Kremlin to negotiate. They also stated that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump should more actively influence Vladimir Putin to achieve a just and lasting peace.

As part of the trip, the delegation met with representatives of the Ukrainian government, military, border guards, port managers and maritime security experts from Odesa region, as well as representatives of American business, religious and civic circles.

Jeanne Shaheen said that the path to peace involves increasing pressure on Russia, not Ukraine, and criticized the lack of decisive steps by the White House. According to her, if the president does not act, Congress should take the initiative. She said that a bipartisan bill to counter Russia's"shadow fleet" has already received the support of the relevant committee and could be considered in the near future.

After the visit,Richard Blumenthal emphasized the need to double support for Ukraine, noting that claims of Russia's superiority are false. According to him, Ukraine's victory is in the interests of the United States.

In February, President Zelenskyy responded to the Kremlin's behind-the-scenes attempts to get the United States to recognize the annexation of Crimea. The head of state explained that Moscow deliberately addresses these signals directly to Washington, as it realizes that it is impossible to obtain such consent from Kyiv.

Анна Бальчінос