STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, along with several members of Congress, spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a zoom meeting Saturday, as he thanked the U.S for their continued support and asked for assistance in the country’s fight against Russia.
Malliotakis said Zelenskyy, who has survived three assassination attempts, gave an update and assessed what is currently taking place on the ground to about 300 Congress members.
“He said there have been thousands of casualties --- more civilians deaths than military,” she added.
Zelenskyy also provided some insight into Russian military tactics.
“They first want to install fear by shelling [their targets], Malliotakis said. “Then destroy infrastructure and roads so people can’t leave. “They’ll try to force the local government to surrender.”
Russian troops have destroyed downtowns, cathedrals, and a holocaust memorial, according to Zelenskyy.
Notable incidents include Russian troops attacking two kindergarten and specialized schools -- 50 children died. They’ve also taken over three nuclear power plants.
The Ukrainian president also asked for additional sanctions that would cripple Russia’s economy.
Some options brought up in the meeting were cutting off access to Visa and Mastercard, revoking Russia’s MFN (most favored nation) status that would affect their trade and tariffs, as well as sanctioning Russian oil and gas.
Malliotakis has called on the Biden administration to ramp up domestic energy production.
“Both need to be done; you can’t stop importing Russian oil without ramping our own domestic energy supply,” she said. “We import hundreds of thousands of barrels from Russia, and Americans are financing this brutal and inhumane attack on Ukraine.”
There have been calls for NATO to provide more assistance. While they’ve been hesitant to inflict a no-fly zone over Ukraine, the congresswoman said there are other ways to assist them and stop it from escalating potential into NATO territory.
“[Zelenskyy] said [the sanctions] it’s working, but they need more equipment,” she said. “I think there’s an opportunity for NATO to provide more assistance by providing aircraft, drones, fighter jets [and other military equipment].”
There have been talks that the Biden administration will look to pass a Ukrainian aid package.
I’m supportive of an aid package; I would like to see the details of it first. [But] there is an urgency here,” she said.
Malliotakis will be at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church Sunday. She will talk with parishioners and update them on the work she’s doing on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the meeting with Zelenskyy.
Other Congress members speak on Saturday’s zoom meeting:
“President Zelenskyy made a desperate plea for Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes to Ukraine,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. “These planes are very much needed. And I will do all I can to help the administration to facilitate their transfer.”
Joe Manchin asked Zelenskyy if an oil boycott would help. The Ukrainian president supported the proposal, according to a report in the New York Daily News.
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