WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Congress was a big moment for two Ohio lawmakers who are staunch supporters of Ukraine.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, both prominent Ukraine supporters, attended President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Congress on Wednesday
  • Portman co-chairs the Senate Ukraine Caucus and has met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine three times this year
  • Kaptur co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and has traveled to Ukraine over a dozen times

  • The two lawmakers, who continue to advocate for more aid to be sent to Ukraine, spoke with Spectrum News shortly before Zelenskyy’s speech

Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur have spent years visiting and advocating for the eastern European country.

When Zelenskyy arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday evening to address Congress, Kaptur made sure she was in the audience.

"I actually consider this a miraculous moment,” she told Spectrum News in an interview just hours before the event.

Kaptur called it an emotional and unforgettable experience for her, as a longtime ally of Ukraine and co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus.

"When the history books are written, this will be one of the most memorable moments of this point in history, where we don’t know the future,” she said.

In a separate interview before Zelenskyy’s speech, Portman said he felt similarly. The Ohio Republican has visited Ukraine three times this year as co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus. He’s met with Zelenskyy personally, who has thanked him for the billions of dollars in aid from the United States.

"I think I’ve met with him, I’ve been told, more than any other member of Congress, and he always says it to me. He starts with his appreciation,” Portman told Spectrum News.

As Russia continues to bomb Ukraine and kill innocent civilians, all while destroying critical infrastructure, Zelenskyy made a plea for continued resources for both the sake of his country’s independence and freedom in the Western World.

"Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” he told the lawmakers.

Portman said the U.S. continuing to provide aid to Ukraine and standing up to Russia is crucial.

"If we don’t, I believe it sets a really bad example and sends a terrible message to the rest of the world that somehow the new world order after World War II is gone and the new order is, ‘Hey, you’re on your own,’” he said.

Kaptur told Spectrum News she feels the same way. She has visited Ukraine over a dozen times in her adult life and said the Ukrainian people want so badly to be like America.

"I really believe, because the Ukrainians want liberty so much, they are paying everything to get it,” Kaptur said. "And that we, as the leader of the free world, have a responsibility.”

Portman applauded President Joe Biden’s announcement on Wednesday that the U.S. will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, something he has called for all year.

While some in his party are urging the U.S. to stop spending billions on aid, Portman, who is retiring next month, insists more support is needed.

"The Ukrainians are fighting so bravely,” he said. "They’re not asking for a single American soldier, but they are asking for us to continue to work with, again, about 49 other countries in providing the assistance they need to defend themselves.”

Kaptur is pledging to keep fighting for Ukraine in the next session of Congress. She said she hopes Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington will inspire her colleagues who are skeptical of continuing to help.

“You have to look at the realities of securing liberty because it isn’t just automatic,” she said.

Her message to Zelenskyy as the war nears the one-year mark?

“Prevail."