As Ukraine digs in further against a faltering Russian invasion, leaders from most Western countries have taken the opportunity to visit the war-torn nation and express their support. When GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy received an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do just that, however, he declined the offer in no uncertain terms. “I will continue to get my briefings and others, but I don’t have to go to Ukraine or Kyiv to see it,” McCarthy said, decrying what he called a policy of writing Ukraine “blank checks.” Zelensky had pushed for a visit from McCarthy, who holds significant influence on congressional spending, in an interview with CNN, saying, “He has to come here to see how we work, what’s happening here, what war caused us … And then after that, make your assumptions.” President Joe Biden visited Ukraine on Feb. 20, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
