President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with a delegation of the upper house of the United States Congress headed by the leader of the Republican minority in the Senate Mitchell McConnell.
The Head of State stressed that this important visit is a powerful signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine from the US Congress and the American people.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that today Ukraine is fighting against the Russian aggressor, defending not only its state, but also democratic values and freedoms, the right of nations to freely choose their own future.
"Russia is committing genocide against the Ukrainian people. Commits war crimes that terrify the whole world - torture, mass shootings, rape. "Europe has not seen such crimes since World War II," he said.
The President noted the special role of the United States in increasing sanctions pressure on Russia. In particular, he stressed the adoption by the United States Congress of laws banning the import of Russian oil and the suspension of trade relations with Russia and Belarus.
Also, according to him, it is especially important to increase the sanctions pressure on the banking sector of the aggressor country.
"I look forward to the United States' support for further sanctions. In addition, we believe that Russia should be officially recognized as a state - sponsor of terrorism," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The President thanked the United States for its leadership in supporting Ukraine.
The President called the entry into force of the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act a significant event for our country. After all, strengthening the defense and financial support of our state is extremely important for resisting Russia's armed aggression.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed hope that the US Senate will promptly approve a package of additional funding to support the Ukrainian people, which has already been considered in the House of Representatives and increased from $ 33 billion up to $ 39.6 billion.