Democrat Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona visited Ukraine this weekend, trying to undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the devastating war launched by Russia in 2022 during Joe Biden’s presidency. Kelly’s trip comes just days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.
Amazingly, in a statement on his visit to Ukraine, Kelly warned Trump that abandoning Ukraine would encourage China to invade Taiwan, completely ignoring that it was Joe Biden’s abandonment of Afghanistan in 2021 that encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine the following year. Kelly implied Trump was being a ‘bully like Putin’ in his treatment of Zelenskyy.
Kelly called Trump’s cutting off giving Ukraine U.S. intelligence last week after he determined Zelenskyy was not ready for peace, “sickening.”
Trump hinted the sharing of intelligence may resume soon in comments to reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Washington, D.C. from spending the weekend at his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
New: Trump tells reporters on Air Force One that the pause on Ukraine intel sharing is “just about lifted”
Details unclear. Says expects big things from Saudi talks this week pic.twitter.com/cPWvUg2FST
— Gram Slattery (@G_Slattery) March 9, 2025
Trump also indicated he is optimistic about the talks:
President Donald Trump just said on Air Force One something MAJOR could happen this week regarding his peace talks with Russia.
“We’re gonna have a good result in Saudi Arabia [talks] … I think Ukraine’s going to do well, Russia’s going to do well. Some very big things… pic.twitter.com/tup9on33Wd
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 10, 2025
Kelly was one of the Senators who met with Zelenskyy the morning of his February 28 Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance, apparently getting Zelenskyy all fired up to make security demands of Trump that were not part of the agreed upon economic and minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine that just needed to be signed. The acrimonious meeting ended with the deal going unsigned and Trump kicking Zelenskyy out of the White House.
When I met with President Zelenskyy this morning, I made sure to remind him that the American people stand against Russia and with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/l2DNPgGQap
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) February 28, 2025
Kelly went on CBS’ Face the Nation two days later to trash Trump as a ‘bully’ and defend Zelenskyy:
“It was a dumpster fire of diplomacy.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was “cornered” and “bullied” in his Oval Office confrontation with President Trump, and that the meeting “makes us look weak.”
“The only winner in that exchange is Putin.” pic.twitter.com/xG4tHTUHmO
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 2, 2025
Kelly is the first U.S. lawmaker to visit Ukraine since the Oval Office blow-out between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance.
Kelly’s staff issued a press release Sunday night on the visit, noting that Kelly also stopped in Poland and dined with U.S. troops there. Kelly is a retired Navy Captain who flew combat missions in the Gulf War and later piloted Space Shuttle missions for NASA.
Kelly Visits Ukraine as the Country Keeps Fighting Against Putin’s Illegal Invasion
Kelly visited a military hospital and met with Red Cross staffHe was briefed by Ukrainian military leaders and U.S. embassy officials
This is Kelly’s third visit to Ukraine; his most recent trip was in September 2023
Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly returned from a visit to Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion. Kelly was briefed by U.S. embassy officials and Ukrainian military leaders, visited defense industry sites, heard from wounded service members, and met with the International Red Cross Committee. Kelly, a Navy combat pilot, also spent time with pilots who’ve flown combat missions defending from air attacks. This is Kelly’s third visit to Ukraine since 2023. He also traveled through Poland, where he met with U.S. military officials and service members.
“I visited Ukraine to show my support for the Ukrainian people. As always, I’m blown away by their resolve as they fight for their country in the face of Putin’s illegal invasion,” said Kelly. “I plan to bring what I’ve learned from Ukrainian leaders, service members, and the Ukrainian people back to Washington to share the direct impact our support has on the ground.”
Kelly continued, “One thing is clear: No one wants this war to end more than President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people. But it has to end in a way that protects their sovereignty and security. The safety of Ukraine is tied to the safety of the United States, that’s why I stand with Ukraine.”
In his meetings with Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Havryliuk and a Ukrainian security chief, Kelly asked about the impact on the ground of the U.S. pausing military aid and emphasized that he’s working with colleagues to reinstate support.
As hospitals continue to be a target in Russia’s war plan, Kelly visited a military hospital where he heard directly from wounded service members, doctors, and hospital staff. He met two nurses who have worked there since before the invasion began and shared with him stories of the war, including the violence faced by women and children by Russian soldiers.
Here, Kelly also spoke with injured service members, some of whom talked about returning to the fight after they recover. One soldier Kelly talked to, Anton, lost his left arm and leg, right hand, and his vision to a drone attack.
Kelly concluded his time in Kiev visiting the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine where he laid flowers. Later, he spoke with aviation engineering students who volunteer their time to help innovate for Ukraine’s defense.
Kelly’s statement and photos from the visit were posted to Facebook and on X.
This war started with what Putin thought would be a three-day operation to take Kyiv and control of all of Ukraine. Now three years later, that hasn’t happened. American and allied support has been a big reason why, but I saw how cutting it off now risks everything so many…
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 9, 2025
Just left Ukraine. What I saw proved to me we can’t give up on the Ukrainian people. Everyone wants this war to end, but any agreement has to protect Ukraine’s security and can’t be a giveaway to Putin. Let me tell you about my trip and why it’s important we stand with Ukraine.
This war started with what Putin thought would be a three-day operation to take Kyiv and control of all of Ukraine. Now three years later, that hasn’t happened. American and allied support has been a big reason why, but I saw how cutting it off now risks everything so many Ukrainians have laid down their lives for. And while our support hasn’t been free, we haven’t sent even half of what President Trump says.
Hospitals should never be targets in war, but Putin is a war criminal who targets hospitals routinely. I visited one in Kyiv. Injured soldiers told me how they want to get back to the fight. Nurses there shared their stories of the invasion with me through tears. Stories of violence that women and children of Ukraine suffered during the invasion. These nurses told me how they witnessed Russian soldiers raping children in front of their parents and then murdering these children in front of their parents. Horrendous war crimes which can never be forgiven. Donald Trump says he trusts Putin and is trying to make him look like a friend and a good guy. I look forward to seeing Putin rot in prison.
The pause of military aid has only made it harder for Ukraine in their fight against Russia. They are running low on certain weapons which have made it most of the way to Ukraine. Stopping the transfer of these weapons only helps the Russians. The Russians will become more confident and try to drive a harder bargain in ceasefire talks. This isn’t rocket science. We should be negotiating from a position of strength.
Donald Trump is trying to weaken Ukraine’s hand and we are owed an explanation. If Putin gains ground he won’t agree to a ceasefire and will eventually threaten a NATO ally and this puts American troops and the American people at risk.
I met with Ukrainian pilots, one who I had met in Arizona when he was learning to fly the F-16. They are flying challenging combat missions against the Russians who are protected by a considerable electronic warfare and surface to air missile system defense. They’ve learned a lot and they are getting better and having more success. When Trump cut off these pilots from US intelligence that they need to plan their missions, he blinded them to the threat and put them and their aircraft at risk. But worse than that, it helps the Russians advance further into Ukrainian territory and murder more Ukrainians. President Trump says the Russians are “hitting them hard” in a tone of voice that implies approval. It is sickening to see from an American President. “Hitting them hard” means more dead Ukrainian kids.
Ukraine did not start this war, and they did not ask for the constant missile and drone attacks that have terrorized the population. Government officials who can’t acknowledge factual information should reevaluate their career choices.
I saw the innovation and fighting spirit of the Ukrainians up close. It was embodied in their military members, everyday people and by these students who are aviation engineers using their spare time to help Ukrainians innovate in their military. They now have a defense industrial base that we should envy and that we can learn from. They have an innovation cycle measured in days while ours is years. We should be learning from it, not slowing it down.
Lastly I visited the Wall of Remembrance to pay tribute to Ukraine’s dead soldiers. I’m bringing back what I saw and learned from Ukrainian leaders, servicemembers and the Ukrainian people to show the direct impact our support is having on the ground. The safety and security of Ukraine is tied to the safety and security of the United States. Let me explain why.
If we abandon our ally Ukraine, we will be viewed by other countries including our other allies as untrustworthy and in the future we shouldn’t expect their help. As significant as that is, what is a bigger deal is the reaction we would see from China. The Chinese watch everything and they want to take Taiwan. If they view our partnerships and our loyalty to our allies as weak they are more likely to try to take Taiwan by force. If that happens, this President or any future President will have to make one of the most consequential decisions in the history of our country. My goal is to avoid that decision. We avoid that by strengthening our alliances, not weakening them.
Finally, if we stand with Ukraine they will be there for us. This country has a fighting spirit and a depth of experience and kickassness unmatched anywhere in the world today. These are the people you want in your corner. My goal in the Senate is and will continue to be to keep us out of wars. I think that is true for most combat veterans like me. We want to stay out of the fight. But when things go sideways and we find ourselves on the battlefield in a foreign land or God forbid, at home, the first call I’d want to make is to our Ukrainian friends. I know they would be there for us if we are there for them.
The world will become a very cold and lonely place if we continue this ridiculous “screw you, go it alone” foreign policy. It’s dumb and it won’t age well and puts you and your kids and your grandkids at risk. America is the strongest, richest country in the world. We didn’t get there by being bullies like Putin, we got there by leading from the front and bringing our allies. That’s why I’ll continue to share with everyone who will listen why we must keep supporting Ukraine.
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