The President of Ukraine held a video call with 20 U.S. senators and members of Congress on Friday amid tensions with Russia, which recently stoked fears of a possible invasion by massing troops near Ukraine’s border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with the senators and congressional representatives about the Russian troop buildup and the situation in his country’s war-torn east, according to Mr. Zelenskyy’s office. Russia-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
“Now, more than ever, it is not words that matter, but decisive actions,” a statement quoted Mr. Zelenskyy as saying. “My goal is to stop the bloodshed in the east of Ukraine. It’s impossible to imagine security in Europe without ending the war in Donbas.”
Mr. Zelenskyy and the lawmakers also talked about applying further sanctions pressure on Russia, Washington’s support of Kyiv’s “Euro-Atlantic aspirations” and Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership.
No third opinion
During his call with the American lawmakers and senators, Mr. Zelenskyy said “not a single third country can have a say in Ukraine’s integration into NATO.”
“No agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said.
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