US senators visit key Ukrainian port city
WASHINGTON (AP) — A delegation of U.S. senators is returning from a trip to Ukraine. They hope to spur action in Congress for a series of sanctions meant to economically cripple Moscow and pressure President Vladimir Putin to make key concessions in peace talks. It was the first U.S. congressional delegation to Odesa, Ukraine’s third-most populous city and an economically crucial Black Sea port that has been particularly targeted by Russia since the war began nearly four years ago. Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse made the trip. The senators hoped the sanctions could prod Putin toward settling for peace. The U.S. has set a June deadline for settlement.
