37 Ukrainian MPs go to US to strengthen bilateral relations, speaker says

Thirty-seven Ukrainian lawmakers have traveled to america at their very own expense to strengthen ties with U.S. officers, Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, mentioned on Feb. 7.

"Ukraine is dealing with a vital job — to restart our relationships with our strategic associate, america. And we’re doing this systematically in any respect ranges, together with restoring relations with the U.S. Congress," Stefanchuk mentioned.

His feedback come after President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 6 criticized lawmakers for frequent international journeys, together with a go to to the U.S. for the Nationwide Prayer Breakfast.

Stefanchuk emphasised that the delegation, composed of each opposition members and representatives from the ruling celebration, is working with U.S. senators to rebuild political relationships.

"All of the lawmakers are there not on the expense of the state; they went at their very own expense," Stefanchuk mentioned.

He assured that the work of the Verkhovna Rada wouldn’t be disrupted, noting that parliamentary duties lengthen past voting in plenary periods to incorporate committee work, investigations, and diplomatic engagement.

Amid Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's present parliamentary convocation has been working longer than any within the nation's historical past.

Trump ready to step up Russia sanctions to end war in Ukraine, special envoy saysCurrent U.S. sanctions on Russia, particularly those targeting its energy sector, amount to a “3 on a 10-point scale” regarding economic pressure, Keith Kellogg, special envoy for Ukraine and Russia said.The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy