Zelensky Versus U.S. Congress… 2.9% Of House Members Visited Ukraine And 17% Of Senate Members Visited Ukraine. He Should Focus Upon Military Funding And Jettison Most USAID Programs.

One strategy which could benefit Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (2019- ), during his visit(s) Thursday to Capitol Hill in Washington DC to meet with members of the United States Congress (435-member House of Representatives and 100-member Senate) would be to pivot from seeking financial support for military-related and non-military-related to focusing solely upon military-related support- and ask that what have been donations (grants) become loans.  President Zelensky would acknowledge the challenge for the government of Ukraine to repay the generosity of United States taxpayers, but the offering is an important signal of gratitude.   

• NOTE: In 2022, the United States Congress appropriated US$113.1 billion for Ukraine-related expenditures.  In 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ) has requested an additional US$24 billion for Ukraine-related expenditures and there is an expectation for another US$24 billion or more in 2024.  Since 24 February 2022, additional billions of dollars have also been directed toward Ukraine-related purposes.  The entirety of these funds were and will be borrowed- United States taxpayers will be paying interest probably in perpetuity as the United States government continues to operate at enormous annual deficits and has an unrepayable level of national debt.

There is an increasing and justifiable opposition to United States taxpayers borrowing for some programs administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

• Excerpt from USAID media release: “With this funding, USAID will provide technical assistance to Ukrainian businesses to help scale their operations, meet EU regulations to export more of their products and services into Europe, and ultimately create jobs for more Ukrainians.”

Why should United States taxpayers borrow to fund Ukraine-based companies to integrate with European Union (EU)-based companies?  Should that not be the responsibility of the European Union and its twenty-seven country members which are seeking the government of Ukraine as a member of the EU? 

Why should United States taxpayers borrow to fund anticorruption programs for the government of Ukraine and Ukraine-based companies?  Should that not be the responsibility of the government of Ukraine?  Corruption is not a newly-created outgrowth of the 24 February 2022 attack upon Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.  The EU should again be the source of funding for any corruption-related program as the EU is seeking membership for the government of Ukraine so it and its collective membership have a direct interest.

• 7/21/23- Waste Of Money: USAID Spending US$230 Million In United States Taxpayer Borrowed Funds To Help Ukraine Companies “Export To EU And Meet EU Regulations” Is Ridiculous. That’s EU Responsibility. 

Within the 118th United States Congress, since 24 February 2022, 17% of the United States Senate have visited Ukraine and 2.9% of the United States House of Representatives have visited Ukraine.

Thus, 8.0% of the members of the 118th United States Congress having visited Ukraine since 24 February 2022.

118th United States Congress (3 January 2023 to 3 January 2025)
United States House Of Representatives
(435 Members- 222 Republicans, 213 Democrats)

Visited Ukraine Since 24 February 2022
Democrat- 12
Republican- 14

Adam Schiff (D- California)
Adam Smith (D-Washington)
Barbara Lee (D- California)
Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania)
Christopher Stewart (R- Utah)
Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas)
Darin LaHood (R- Illinois)
Darrell Issa (R-California)
Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan)
Gregory Meeks (D- New York)
Jake Ellzey (R-Texas)
James McGovern (D- Massachusetts)
Jason Crow (D- Colorado)
Joe Wilson (R- South Carolina)
Keith Self (R-Texas)
Max Miller (R-Ohio)
Michael McCaul (R-Texas)
Michael Turner (R- Ohio)
Mike Quigley (D-Illinois)
Mike Waltz (R-Florida)
Mikie Sherrill (D- New Jersey)
Nancy Pelosi (D- California)
Richard McCormick (R- Georgia)
Steve Cohen (D- Tennessee)
Victoria Spartz (R- Indiana)
William Keating (D- Massachusetts)

6 May 2023 (Kyiv)- Steve Cohen (D- Tennessee), Joe Wilson (R- South Carolina), Victoria Spartz R- Ohio), members of the United States House of Representatives 

3 April 2023 (Kyiv)- Michael Turner (R- Ohio), Chairman of the Intelligence Committee; Christopher Stewart (R- Utah); Richard McCormick (R- Georgia); Darin LaHood (R- Illinois), members of the United States House of Representatives 

21 February 2022 (Kyiv)- Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; Darrell Issa (R-California), Keith Self (R-Texas), Max Miller (R-Ohio), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), members of the United States House of Representatives 

23 July 2022 (Kyiv)- Mikie Sherrill (D- New Jersey), Adam Smith (D-Washington), Chairman of Armed Services Committee, Mike Waltz (R-Florida), Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), Mike Quigley (D-Illinois), members of the United States House of Representatives 

4 June 2022 (Kyiv)- Victoria Spartz (R- Indiana), United States House of Representatives 

24 May 2022 (Kyiv)- Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), United States House of Representatives 

30 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Nancy Pelosi (D- California), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; Gregory Meeks (D- New York), Adam Schiff (D- California), James McGovern (D- Massachusetts), Jason Crow (D- Colorado), Barbara Lee (D- California), William Keating (D- Massachusetts) 

14 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Victoria Spartz (R- Indiana) 

118th United States Congress (3 January 2023 to 3 January 2025)
United States Senate
(100 Members- 48 Democrats, 3 Independents (all caucus with Democrats), 49 Republicans)

Visited Ukraine Since 24 February 2022
Democrat- 8
Independent- 1
Republican- 8

Amy Klobuchar (D- Minnesota)
Angus King (I- Maine)
Christopher Coons (D- Delaware)

Elizabeth Warren (D- Massachusetts)
Jack Reed (D- Rhode Island)
James Risch (R- Idaho)
John Barrasso (R-Wyoming)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina)- Visited Four Times 2022/2023
Lisa Murkowski (R- Alaska)
Mark Kelly (D- Arizona)
Joe Manchin (D- West Virginia)
Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
Richard Blumenthal (D- Connecticut)- Visited Three Times 2022/2023
Rob Portman (R- Ohio)- Visited Twice 2022; Retired
Sheldon Whitehouse (D- Rhode Island)
Steven Daines (R- Montana)
Susan Collins (R-Maine) 

23 August 2023 (Kyiv)- Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), members of the United States Senate

28 May 2023 (Kyiv)- Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina), United States Senate 

12 April 2023 (Kyiv)-Mark Kelly (D- Arizona), Lisa Murkowski (R- Alaska), Joe Manchin (D- West Virginia), members of the United States Senate 

20 January 2023 (Kyiv)- Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina), Richard Blumenthal (D- Connecticut), Sheldon Whitehouse (D- Rhode Island), members of the United States Senate 

6 January 2023 (Kyiv)- Jack Reed (D- Rhode Island), Angus King (I- Maine), members of the United States Senate 

3 November 2022 (Kyiv)- Christopher Coons (D- Delaware), Robert Portman (R- Ohio; retiring; second visit), members of the United States Senate 

31 August 2022 (Kyiv)- Amy Klobuchar (D- Minnesota), Rob Portman (R- Ohio), members of the United States Senate  

7 July 2022 (Kyiv)- Richard Blumenthal (D- Connecticut) and Lindsey Graham (R- South Carolina), members of the United States Senate 

27 June 2022 (Kyiv)- James Risch (R- Idaho), the ranking minority member of the United Sates Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 

30 May 2022- (crossed into Ukraine at border with Moldova) Rob Portman (R- Ohio), United States Senate 

14 May 2022 (Kyiv)- Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Minority Leader of the United States Senate; Susan Collins (R-Maine), United States Senate; John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), United States Senate; John Cornyn (R-Texas), United States Senate 

14 April 2022 (Kyiv)- Steven Daines (R- Montana), United States Senate

War Timeline 

• On 24 February 2022, the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded and further invaded the territory of Ukraine in what Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (2000-2008 and 2012- ), defined as a Special Military Operation [SMO] then on 22 December 2022 he redefined as a war.  The initial invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation was in part from the territory of Belarus.   

• The war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine did not commence on 24 February 2022.  The roots began their trajectories on 20 February 2014 when the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded the Crimean Peninsula and the area known as the Donbas Region (Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast).

Links To Related Analyses 

• 9/12/23- Why Does Speaker McCarthy Have A “Ukraine” Problem? Maybe Because Only 2.9% Of United States House Of Representatives Have Visited Ukraine Compared With 17% Of United States Senate.

• 9/7/23- If So Much Support In U.S. Senate For Continued U.S. Taxpayer Borrowing Ukraine- Exceeding Already US$113.1 Billion In Less Than One Year, Why Only One New Senator Visited Ukraine During Recess?

• 9/16/23- U.S. National Security Advisor Said In “Last Several Months” Members Of Congress, Democrats And Republicans, Have Visited Kyiv. He Was Not Accurate. But, Does It Matter? 

• 9/1/23- Why Are Senators Blumenthal, Graham, And Warren Refusing To Disclose Who Paid For Their Visit(s) To Ukraine? They Demand Transparency From Others, But Not For Themselves. 

• 7/21/23- Waste Of Money: USAID Spending US$230 Million In United States Taxpayer Borrowed Funds To Help Ukraine Companies “Export To EU And Meet EU Regulations” Is Ridiculous. That’s EU Responsibility.