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The Chairman of the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff detailed the roughly three-hour discussion that members of the congressional delegation to Kyiv had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, and said he thinks it’s “just a matter of time” before US President Joe Biden visits Ukraine.
I have to think that a presidential visit is something that is being considered, but it’s only a question of how long that will be possible,” Schiff told CNN’s Jim Acosta.
Schiff said the meeting with Zelensky focused on his priorities for additional support, especially as the Ukrainians enter a new phase of the war with more concentrated fighting in the east of the country. Members of the delegation then relayed information to Biden about the call, Schiff said, and made recommendations to the President.
Asked what Zelensky thought of the $33 billion price Biden demanded in his request for additional aid to Ukraine before Congress, Schiff said: “His job is to say nothing is enough and you know what. , we understand that, we respect that. However, I think he’s very grateful for what we’re doing.”
“We wanted to discuss with him, in that really big amount of money, what kind of weapons he needs, what other supports he needs,” Schiff said. “We discussed in detail the next phase of the war. It transitioned from the stage where the Ukrainians were ambushing Russian tanks – that is close combat – to fighting at longer distances using the use of weapons. using long-range artillery, and that changes the very nature of what Ukraine needs to defend itself.”
Schiff said they discussed a variety of issues, including making sure he received the military equipment he needed and would get it quickly. They discussed the humanitarian crisis, the refugees, the war crimes, and he said, “I want to make sure as the intelligence chair that he has the intelligence he needs. .”
Schiff said the members of the delegation wanted to send Zelensky at the meeting a message of support because, “If Russia can get away with this, this naked aggression, the invasion of their neighbour, you know, what makes us think they’re going to stop with Ukraine.”
