U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., led a bipartisan delegation to Ukraine and Poland on Wednesday, and brought along country music star Brad Paisley.
Manchin’s office said the delegation consisted of Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
The group discussed several topics with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian leaders, including the country’s energy security, military readiness, accountability of foreign assistance, and the rebuild of Ukraine.
Paisley joined the delegation’s trip as an UNITED24 ambassador, which is an initiative of Ukraine to raise money for the country’s war effort against Russia.
LEAK OF ‘HIGHLY CLASSIFIED MATERIAL’ IS BEING ASSESSED BY INTERAGENCY TEAM, PENTAGON SAYS
Manchin released a statement saying that ending Russia’s war against Ukraine must be a top priority.
“The Ukrainian people continue to show unimaginable courage in the face of Vladimir Putin’s unjust war. I was honored to meet with President Zelenskyy and members of his cabinet in Kyiv to learn firsthand about the challenges they face as this war rages on. And it was my pleasure to travel with West Virginian and UNITED24 Ambassador, Brad Paisley and witness his performance that truly lifted the spirits of everyone present,” Manchin said. “The level of patriotism, professionalism, and sheer endurance of the Ukrainian people is inspiring.
“After this visit, I am even more convinced that defeating [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and ending his ruthless war against the Ukrainian people must remain our top priority.”
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The delegation’s meeting comes under the backdrop of “sensitive and highly classified material” being leaked on several social media websites over the weekend.
Manchin called the leak “unacceptable.”
“If it turns out that that is true and all that stuff is accurate, you know, we’re going to prosecute that person to the fullest extent of the law. But our mission here is to have conversations with the president and his leadership team figure out in this very dynamic environment what they need to be successful,” Manchin said. “We cannot let the Russians win, we’ve got to help Ukraine be successful in this illegal invasion.”
Fox News’ Paul Best and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
