Pelosi visits Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy

I suffer and cry thinking of the suffering of the Ukrainian population, especially the weakest, the elderly and children.”He noted the “terrible reports of children being expelled and deported” and the “terrible regression of humanity.”The Associated PressZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — The long-awaited effort to evacuate people from a steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was underway Sunday, the United Nations said, while U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she visited Ukraine’s president to show unflinching U.S. support for the country’s defense against Russian aggression.U.N. humanitarian spokesman Saviano Abreu told The Associated Press that the operation to bring people out of the sprawling Azovstal steel plant was being undertaken with the International Committee for the Red Cross and in coordination with Ukrainian and Russian officials.As many as 100,000 people are believed to remain in blockaded Mariupol, including up to 1,000 civilians who were hunkered down with an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters beneath the Soviet-era steel plant — the only part of the city not occupied by the Russians.Associated PressPoland’s armed forces said Sunday that military exercises involving thousands of NATO soldiers have begun. “Let’s be aware of the dangers!” the statement said.The Polish army said in a statement that 18,000 soldiers from over 20 countries were taking part in the Defender Europe 2022 and Swift Response 2022 exercises, which are taking place in Poland and eight other countries.The exercises are scheduled to run through May 27.Jason Abbruzzese and Mariia UlianovskaSome Ukrainians are returning to their home country.The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said Sunday on its Facebook page that it had recently seen an uptick in Ukrainians coming back over the western border."Over the past 24hrs, 40,000 people have entered the country, 36,000 of whom are Ukrainians," the service wrote, adding that this was the "maximum flow of people into Ukraine on the western border since the start of the war." More than 11 million Ukrainians have been displaced since Russia invaded.Max Burman and Associated PressHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other U.S. lawmakers on the surprise Congressional visit to Ukraine have praised the country's defensive stand and vowed enduring U.S. support for Kyiv's fight against RussiaSpeaking to reporters Sunday in Poland, Pelosi said the delegation that met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “were proud to convey to him the message of unity from the Congress of the United States, a message of appreciation from the American people for his leadership and admiration for the people of Ukraine for their courage.” She added that she was “dazzled” by Zelenskyy’s expertise of all the issues at hand and described him at their meeting as “a remarkable masterclass of leadership.”“This is a time we stand up for democracy or we allow autocracy to rule the day,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York. His approval rating fell to 32 percent, the poll showed.Jason AbbruzzeseHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi has led a Congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.Pelosi is now the highest-ranking U.S. politician to visit Ukraine during the war, with the surprise visit adding to growing momentum behind the West’s support for the country’s fight against Russia.The delegation will now keep traveling in Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda.Read the full story here.Jason AbbruzzeseRussia's defense ministry has said that it destroyed a hangar housing arms and ammunition sent to Ukraine by the United States and European UnionThe ministry said in a Telegram post on its official account that the strike on a military airfield near Odesa was one of seven military assets it attacked. "Enduring control over Kherson and its transport links will increase Russia’s ability to sustain its advance to the north and west and improve the security of Russia’s control over Crimea."Jason Abbruzzese and Mariia UlianovskaUkraine's defense ministry has warned that Russia is working to stoke unrest in nearby Moldova.Ukraine's defense intelligence agency said in a Telegram post on its official account that it had got hold of a newspaper printed with a Monday date that contained Russian propaganda and called for Russian armed forces to intervene in Transnistria, a breakaway republic in Moldova where Kyiv is concerned Moscow may be preparing an escalation that could broaden the war."To this end, 'mobilization points' are being set up on the territory of the Russian Federation itself to recruit volunteers to fight in the Transnistrian army," Ukraine's intelligence ministry said.The ministry said it is preparing for Russian efforts to cause unrest around the May holidays, including Victory Day on May 9, which celebrates Russia's victory in World War II.Peter JearyMax BurmanHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has confirmed she led a Congressional delegation to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.The visit was "to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine," Pelosi's office said in a statement early Sunday.