WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th January, 2022) A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers will discuss the situation between Ukraine and Russia with allies during an ongoing trip to Kiev and Brussels, House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Democrats said on Monday.
"In Brussels, the delegation will meet with representatives from NATO, the EU, and NATO and EU member states to discuss the security situation in Eastern Europe and the buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine's border and in Belarus. In Kyiv, the delegation will meet with senior Ukrainian officials to discuss the security situation and reinforce U.S. support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity," the HFAC press release said.
The congressional delegation is led by HFAC Chair Gregory Meeks and also includes Representatives David Cicilline, Ami Bera, Colin Allred, Chrissy Houlahan, Tom Malinowski, Sara Jacobs, Mark Green, August Pfluger, Mikie Sherill and Victoria Spartz, the release said. The lawmakers departed for the trip on Monday morning.
Meeks on Friday introduced a companion bill to match the Senate measure that would impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, among other individuals and entities.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kiev expected the US to take active measures against Russia in the event of an escalation of the crisis. The Biden administration continues to say that the US and its allies will impose severe costs on Russia if it advances on Ukraine, including increased defensive aid and NATO force posture on their eastern flank.
Russia has on many occasions dismissed the allegations that it is preparing to invade Ukraine, pointing to the insecurity created by NATO's military activity in the region. Moscow reiterates that it has no intention of attacking any country, viewing the accusations as a pretext for deploying more alliance's military equipment close to Russian borders.
