House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Ukraine since the war began in February when she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday.
Her unannounced trip to Kyiv comes on the heels of last week's visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Accompanying Pelosi was a delegation that included Democratic representatives Adam Schiff (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Jim McGovern (Mass.), and Jason Crow (Colo.).
The Ukrainian president and the American speaker discussed continued U.S. military and financial support for Ukraine, according to CNBC. Zelensky also awarded Pelosi with the Order of Princess Olga. The decoration — named for the 10th century Princess Olga of Kyiv — "is bestowed upon women who have made outstanding contributions to the Ukrainian state," The Washington Post explains.
The delegation's next stop was Poland, where they met with Polish President Andrzej Duda. At a news conference in Poland on Sunday, Pelosi encouraged Western countries to stand up to Russian aggression: "Do not be bullied by bullies. If they're making threats, you cannot back down. We're there for the fight, and you cannot fold to a bully."