Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie reportedly visited Ukraine on Friday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing his support for US involvement in Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
Christie met with Zelensky at the presidential palace after paying a visit to a mass grave in Bucha and touring the damage in Iprin. The two towns were recaptured by Ukraine in 2022 as Russia abandoned plans to capture Kyiv, per Reuters.
The report mentioned that Christie also visited a child protection center in Kyiv.
"it is very important that Mr. Christie began his visit to Ukraine with a visit to Bucha to see with his own eyes the threat to freedom and to everyone in the world posed by Russian aggression," Zelensky wrote on Twitter. "I thanked all Americans, each and every one, for their vital support."
"We are confident that we will end this Russian war against freedom with our victory – the victory of the free world, the victory of democracy, the victory of freedom."
Christie responded, saying it was a "honor" to meet with Zelensky in Ukraine, "and see firsthand the heroism Ukrainians have displayed in their fight against Russia."
"America has never moved forward by ignoring the rest of the world. We can’t start now."
Christie’s visit to Ukraine comes just one day after former President Donald Trump appeared in a Washington DC court to plead not guilty to "conspiracy charges.
Christie was once an ally of Trump, but is now challenging him for the 2024 presidential nomination. He has also taken a dramatically different stance on the Ukraine issue than the Republican frontrunner.
Christie’s position on Ukraine falls in line with former Vice President Mike Pence, who believes that the US should continue to support the Eastern European country against Russia. However, Trump has been critical of US involvement in the conflict.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis previously referred to the conflict in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute” before backtracking, labeling Russia President Vladimir Putin a war criminal.
Another presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, has called for an immediate end to the war, suggesting that Russia keep its territorial gains, per the report.
The US has provided billions of dollars in support for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. According to a Gallup poll in June 2023, approximately 62 percent of Americans supported US support of Ukraine in the conflict.
