US Capitol Building. File photoWASHINGTON, Apr 15 US Senator Steve Danes and Rep. Victoria Spartz visited Kyiv and its suburbs, the New York Times reports. In the same place, according to the publication, Danes spoke to reporters, who said that it is indispensable to be present on the spot and see the situation with your own eyes. «It's important for US elected officials to show solidarity,» he said. According to the report, both lawmakers represent the Republican Party and visited Ukraine at the invitation of the government, which was received the day before the visit. Spartz is a native of Ukraine and had been planning a trip for a long time, while Danes interrupted a visit to Eastern Europe, the report said. They arrived in Kyiv by train from western Ukraine, accompanied by police. The report says that this is the first visit of American officials to Ukraine since the start of the Russian special operation. Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» To this end, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine» bloody crimes against civilians» of Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and, on March 25, they completed the main tasks of the first stage — they significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.
