KYIV—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin(D-IL) is in Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials todiscuss Western support in the face of Russian militaryaggression. Durbin met with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, PresidentPoroshenko, and seven members of the Rada, including Hanna Hopko, IvannaKlympush-Tsyntsadze, Iryna Herashchenko, Ostap Semerak, Borys Tarasyuk, ViktorGalisiuk and Serhiy Vysotskyi. 

Durbin also met with Former Prime Minister and member of the Rada YuliaTymoshenko, Deputy Ministers of Internal Affairs Eka Zguladze and TigranAvakyan, and Deputy Minister of Defense Petro Mekhed.  
 
"America's relationship with Ukraine has never been more important,"said Durbin. "Ukraine's leaders are focused on key reforms to modernizethe economic, security, judicial, and energy sectors -- allwhile fighting the illegal seizure of Ukrainian territory byRussian-backed separatists. We have discussed ongoing Russian violationsof the Minsk II ceasefire agreement -- including ongoing fighting indisputed areas. It's important that the international community holds PresidentPutin's regime to account and rejects these threatening Russian actions." 
 
On Tuesday, Senator Durbin will visit the Yavoriv training area where 300United States Army personnel are training Ukrainian National Guardpersonnel.  He will then continue on to Lithuania and Poland. 
 
Senator Durbin has led efforts in the Senate to provide Ukraine with economicand military support during its transition, to condemn Russian aggression, andto establish a bipartisan Senate Ukraine caucus.