McCaul Returns from Momentous Visit to Ukraine

July 16, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul returned from private travel to Ukraine. While there, he met with Ukrainian troops near the front lines of the war, observed drone operations, received an award from President Zelensky, and held robust discussions with several other government officials and military leaders. Chairman Emeritus McCaul released the following statement on his trip: "Critics said this war would be over in four days, but four years later, reports from the battlefield reveal Ukraine is turning the tide. Empowered by the 2024 supplemental bill I fought to pass, Ukrainians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation — particularly in drone technology — inflicting unsustainable losses on the Russian Federation. Following the successful NATO summit, the optimism in Ukraine was palpable. It was an honor to meet again with President Zelensky and with troops near the front lines to applaud their success and reaffirm American solidarity. "I commend President Trump for allowing Ukraine to produce its own Patriot systems — a critical defense against Russia’s large-scale attacks targeting not military assets, but innocent civilians. We must pair this support with crippling economic pressure on Vladimir Putin — as Lindsey Graham championed in Kyiv in his final days. Congress has a duty to carry this momentum forward and enact his strong Russia sanctions bill, which I will introduce in the House. Now is the time for moral clarity and conviction. The free world must not waver as we seek to halt Putin’s campaign of aggression and secure lasting peace." McCaul was first escorted to the Donbas region, where he met with Ukrainian troops at a frontline operations center to learn about their success in the Donbas and assure them of U.S. support. This location was further east in Ukraine than any American official has traveled since the beginning of the war. Image Image McCaul in the Donbas with a private security detail of former U.S. servicemen Next, McCaul traveled to Kyiv, where he met with President Zelensky, who presented him with the Order of Merit for his support for Ukraine — especially his work to champion and pass the 2024 supplemental package. In the meeting, they discussed the implications of the successful NATO summit, Ukraine's innovation and momentum on the battlefield, and congressional efforts to enact tough sanctions on Russia. Image Image McCaul receives the Order of Merit from President Zelensky (photos courtesy of the Presidential Office of Ukraine) Image McCaul meeting with the head of sanctions for President Zelensky's office McCaul also met with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Stefanchuk Ruslan Oleksiiovych and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha. In these meetings, discussions focused on how Ukraine is working to bolster its air defense as Russia continues its large-scale missile and drone attacks. McCaul expressed his continued support for deepening Ukrainian-American cooperation in air defense and affirmed President Trump's decision to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot systems. McCaul recently introduced a bill with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) to increase security cooperation and strengthen defense capabilities between the United States and Ukraine. Image Image McCaul with Chairman Stefanchuk (photos courtesy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine) Image McCaul with Foreign Minister Sybiha (photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine) At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, McCaul surveyed Ukrainian-made drones — including offensive, counter-UAS, and transport drones — that showcase Ukraine's technological innovation. McCaul has often commended the Ukrainians for effectively turning the battlefield into a laboratory for advanced weapons systems. Image McCaul at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine) McCaul then visited with both American and Ukrainian drone manufacturers — including SkyFall, which manufactures 7,000 drones per day — and spent time at a drone operations center to learn more about Ukraine’s use of modern warfare. At the drone center, he observed drones dropping supplies and planting mines. Image McCaul at Pegasus Arms observing drone activity On his final day in Ukraine, McCaul received a briefing from the International Cooperation Directorate of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in which he learned about how Ukraine is turning the tide of the war, as well as how Russia is investing in its military in response. He also visited a Bring Kids Back rehabilitation facility for children who had previously been kidnapped and sent to Russia, indoctrinated against their own country, abused and tortured in camps, or even sent to the front lines to fight on behalf of Russia. At the facility, he met with five children and their guardians — as well as doctors and psychiatrists helping the children — to hear their stories and share his support for the children of Ukraine. McCaul also viewed Russian textbooks that are being taught in the occupied territories, which contain propaganda preparing Ukrainian children for a broader war against NATO. Reports indicate that 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since the start of the war, with some estimates much higher, and McCaul has consistently championed their cause. Image Image McCaul with doctors and patients at the rehabilitation facility (photos courtesy of Bring Kids Back) Issues : Foreign Affairs