Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) returned home after concluding a six-day bipartisan Congressional Delegation to allied nations bordering Ukraine, including Poland, Romania, and Moldova. The bipartisan delegation departed Washington for eastern Europe on Friday, March 18th and included Representatives Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Mark Green (R-TN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), and Pat Fallon (R-TX).

“This trip has shown in the starkest terms what many of us feared – the devastation and refugee crisis caused by Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war is going to continue getting worse before it gets better,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The defense and humanitarian aid we’ve provided is vital, but it cannot be the end of our support for the Ukrainian people. We stand with Ukraine, and we wholeheartedly support our Moldovan, Romanian, and Polish allies working around the clock to help them as well.”

Upon arriving in Warsaw, Poland for the first leg of the trip, Trahan met with Polish and Ukrainian NGOs helping spearhead the humanitarian response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including refugee assistance. The meeting was followed by a visit to Torwar Refugee Assistance Center where Ukrainians fleeing violence are being assisted by Polish authorities actively working to help the more than 1.7 million refugees who have crossed into the country already.

The delegation then visited Przemyśl Train Station Border Entry Point. Located along Ukraine's western border not far from Lviv, the entry point has seen one of the largest influxes of refugees. While there, Trahan spoke with a number of Ukrainians about their experience fleeing the violence in their home country and the safety of their loved ones. The group also met with American servicemembers, including members of the 82nd Airborne Division, and government officials working to respond to the crisis. Finally, lawmakers joined members of the World Central Kitchen at their meal prep site where food is being prepared for refugees who arrive at Przemyśl.

In Romania for the second leg of the trip, the group traveled to MK Air Base where they met with commanders of U.S. and NATO forces, and greeted American servicemembers deployed to the NATO nation. In Bucharest, the lawmakers met with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and other Romanian officials to discuss the situation on the ground and reaffirm the United States’ commitments to Romania and NATO allies.

The delegation then traveled to the Siret Border Crossing Point, where lawmakers stood on Ukrainian soil in support of the brave Ukrainians fighting for their freedom and the refugees crossing the border there. The group met with women, children, and seniors seeking safety, as well as Romanian Border Police and U.S. Consular Officers working around the clock to process requests for safe passage from the violence. The lawmakers also thanked Romanian volunteers who have been offering food, supplies, transportation, and other critical services to refugees.

For the third and final leg of the trip, the delegation visited Moldova. The lawmakers met with Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita and visited the Palanca border crossing point, which has emerged as a prominent crossing point for Ukrainians fleeing southern communities like Mariupol, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and others. The lawmakers met with Ukrainians who had recently crossed the border, some of the more than 400,000 who have crossed the Ukraine-Moldova border since Putin's unprovoked invasion began.

After departing Palanca, the delegation met with ministers and members of the Moldovan Parliament, as well as partners at United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about the ongoing situation at the Moldova-Ukraine border. The group also discussed Moldova’s recent application to join the European Union shortly after the Russian aggression began.

En route home, Trahan, Lynch, and Green stopped in Vienna where they met with leaders of the International Atomic Energy Agency, including Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. The agency is currently working to negotiate a framework agreement to ensure the safety and security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, especially after Russia’s seizure of Chernobyl and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Following the meeting, the lawmakers toured the IAEA's incident and emergency center, which has been operating in 24/7 crisis mode to monitor developments and stay in contact with nuclear plant regulators and operators.

The official trip comes just over a week after Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law $13.6 billion in humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine and allied nations responding to the refugee crisis the war has created.

Photos from Poland are accessible HERE.

Photos from Romania are accessible HERE.

Photos from Moldova are accessible HERE.

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