President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met a bipartisan group of U.S. House members in New York on September 24 to discuss protection against Russian ballistic missiles and additional sanctions pressure on Russia.
The Office of the President of Ukraine identified the participating lawmakers as Brian Fitzpatrick, Michael Quigley, Marcy Kaptur, Jared Golden, Joe Wilson and Gregory Meeks.
Ballistic missile defense dominated the meeting
According to the Ukrainian presidential statement, a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv occurred while the meeting was underway. Zelenskyy used the attack to press the case for additional ballistic-missile interceptors.
The official statement says the participants discussed how Ukraine could strengthen protection against such strikes. It does not announce a newly approved U.S. Patriot shipment or another specific weapons package resulting from the meeting.
Ukraine has made additional Patriot interceptors one of its most urgent defense requests because ballistic missiles are significantly more difficult to intercept than many cruise missiles and drones.
Sanctions against Russia
The meeting also covered sanctions policy. The Ukrainian presidency said Zelenskyy discussed the “Lindsey Graham law” with the House members and called for stronger pressure on Russia and on entities helping Russia generate revenue.
Because U.S. sanctions can be imposed through different statutory and executive authorities, a political discussion with lawmakers should not be confused with enactment of a new sanctions package. The September 24 statement confirms the discussion, but it does not announce that new sanctions were adopted during the meeting.
Bipartisan congressional participation
The six lawmakers named by the Ukrainian presidency represent both major U.S. political parties. Their participation matters because Congress can influence military appropriations, sanctions legislation and oversight of U.S. foreign policy.
The meeting itself does not establish how any member will vote on future legislation. It does show that Ukrainian officials continue direct engagement with members of the House as Kyiv seeks both military assistance and additional economic pressure on Moscow.
Connection to the broader U.S.–Ukraine agenda
The meeting took place during a dense diplomatic schedule surrounding the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On the same day, Zelenskyy also discussed Patriot interceptors with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
For Ukraine, the two tracks are connected: additional air-defense ammunition requires both political support and production capacity, while sanctions are intended to increase the economic cost of Russia’s war effort.
UkraineView’s U.S. section tracks official U.S.–Ukraine diplomatic, congressional and security developments.
What is confirmed
- Zelenskyy met six members of the U.S. House of Representatives in New York.
- The lawmakers named by the Ukrainian presidency were Brian Fitzpatrick, Michael Quigley, Marcy Kaptur, Jared Golden, Joe Wilson and Gregory Meeks.
- Ballistic missile defense and Russia sanctions were discussed.
- The meeting occurred as Kyiv came under a ballistic missile attack, according to the Ukrainian presidency.
- No specific new U.S. interceptor shipment or sanctions package was announced in the presidential statement.
Primary source
UkraineView will update this report if Congress, the White House or U.S. agencies announce a specific follow-on measure.