Press Releases

Today, Congressman Wiley Nickel (NC-13) returned from a Congressional Delegation trip to Poland, Ukraine, and Moldova. This was the first week-long fact finding mission for a Congressional delegation through war-torn Ukraine since the start of the war. Congressman Nickel visited with Ukrainian troops in former Russian-occupied territories, and had a face-to-face conversation and working lunch with President Zelenskyy concerning US support for Ukraine.

Congressman Nickel and the delegation traveled by overnight train into Kyiv. They experienced frequent air raid alarms which have become common for the Ukrainian people throughout the two-year war against Russia. A delegation meeting in Odesa was interrupted by a Ukrainian missile fired to take down a Russian reconnaissance drone.

The Congressman met with exiled leaders of Crimea to discuss the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities in Russian-occupied territories and the over 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. The delegation also toured a port facility in Odesa that was destroyed by Russian forces, hindering the supply of grain, raw material, and energy resources into Ukraine.

During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Congressman Nickel discussed the bipartisan supplemental aid package and its path forward in the House. Congressman Nickel expressed support for Ukraine’s significant progress in efforts to tackle corruption and discussed the status of Russian oil sanctions by the United States.

“It was heartbreaking to meet with survivors of Russian war crimes, like those in a local school in Yahidne village. We saw a mass grave at a church for murdered Ukrainians. The situation continues to be very fragile. They can fend off Russia but only if they have our support. We urgently need to pass a supplemental aid package,” said Congressman Wiley Nickel. “If Russia succeeds, they won’t stop with Ukraine. They’ll continue into Georgia, Moldova, the Baltics, and Poland. The cost will be so much greater if Russia wins and we have to fight them elsewhere. The time for action is now.”

Congressman Nickel also met with the President of Moldova, the Ukrainian Defense Minister, the commanding General and American troops stationed at a Forward Operating Base in Poland, and the Foreign Minister of Poland. The delegation also met with high-ranking anti-corruption officials, embassy officials, veterans support organizations, and civilian victims of Russian war crimes. This was a bipartisan trip sponsored by CSIS and included Senator Joni Ernst, and Congressmembers Quigley, Hinson, Edwards and Suozzi.