Photo caption: the CODEL with Ambassador Bridget A. Brink, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (L to R: Reed, Blumenthal, Brink, Schumer, Hassan, Bennet)

LVIV, UKRAINE – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), is back in Ukraine this week as part of a Congressional delegation (CODEL) led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).  This is Reed’s third trip to the region, and it comes at a critical time for Ukraine and on the heels of the U.S. Senate voting 70-29 in favor of a bipartisan supplemental appropriations package to help Ukraine repel Russia’s illegal invasion.  

During their visit, the U.S. Senators will assess the situation on the ground and stress the importance of U.S. and international support for Ukraine.  While on the ground in Ukraine, they plan to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  They will also meet with other senior officials to discuss the war’s impact on America’s national security and global stability.

In addition to Schumer and Reed, other members of the CODEL include U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

Senator Reed departed for the region earlier this week and visited Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine members at 7th Army Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.  He also met with senior officials from the U.S. Army’s combined Europe and Africa command.  Senator Reed is scheduled to return to the U.S. later this week.