U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona returned to Washington after his two-day trip to Ukraine urging the support for Ukraine.
Kelly spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday after a weekend trip to Ukraine to meet with soldiers and pilots.
He told his colleagues that Ukrainians are committed to continue fighting against Russia’s invasion, with or without the support of the United States.
On Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a deal with the U.S. that entailed a 30-day ceasefire.
Kelly says he doubted Russian president Vladimir Putin would agree to the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S — which Ukraine already agreed to.
On Thursday, Russia rejected the proposal, pushing for more concessions from Ukraine and its Western allies.
“Of course the Ukrainians want this war to end. They want it to end more than anybody else. But any agreement has to protect Ukrainian security, and it can't be a giveaway to Putin," Kelly said.
When learning more about Ukrainian soldier and pilot performance in the conflict, he learned the extremes they are willing to and have faced.
“I heard it in their words when they said that they would fight,” said Kelly. “They said they would fight with rocks and sticks if they had to, to defend their country against Putin.”
He told his colleagues that if we do not stand with Ukraine, it will undermine our international relationships.
“What message does that send to our friends across the globe? It tells them we are untrustworthy and unreliable,” said Kelly.
