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18 September 2024

Observations on the War in Ukraine: Impressions from Our Visit

Daniel Byman and Elizabeth Hoffman

One month ago, Ukraine took Russia by surprise when its military successfully executed a daring incursion into Kursk Oblast. We were sitting in a café in Kyiv between meetings when the news of the operation began to emerge. At the time, the operation was an internet rumor, and the Ukrainian government was not acknowledging it. Although the Kursk operation has inspired many Ukrainians and their international supporters, the Russian army continues to push forward in the east, and ballistic missiles wreak havoc on Ukrainian population centers. We were in Ukraine to learn from Ukrainians and U.S. officials about the progress of the war and also to hear about the effects of the Russian invasion on the country as a whole.

Since August of 2023, CSIS has led three congressional member and staff delegations to Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland. These trips allow lawmakers the opportunity to see firsthand how U.S. dollars are being put to use in support of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion and how U.S. policy is affecting the war. Although members of Congress do have the ability to travel to Ukraine through the U.S. Department of State, they are unable to spend the night in the country, and their movements are restricted to the Kyiv region. In contrast, our most recent trip in early August allowed for five nights in Ukraine and an overnight in Odesa in addition to time spent in Kyiv. Throughout the course of the stay, we met with U.S. and Ukrainian government officials and personnel from international organizations, business, media, and civil society. Below, we offer a few thoughts on our recent trip.

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