President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 12 to address U.S. state governors at the National Governors Association summer meeting.
The surprise visit to Utah comes after Zelensky's stay in Washington, D.C., for the annual NATO summit. The allies gathered in the U.S. capital to outline further support for Kyiv in the face of Russian aggression.
"We're honored to welcome President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Zelenska to Utah and the National Governors Association," Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox said.
"Utah stands behind Ukraine and we look forward to hearing his message to the nation's governors."
John Freedman, the honorary consul of Ukraine in Utah, said that Zelensky's visit came after three weeks of hard work and at the invitation of Cox, who currently chairs the National Governors Association.
"I expect that President Zelensky will talk about the current plight that they're facing," Freedman said, referring to Russia's deadly July 8 strike against the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
According to the honorary consul, Utah leaders will also sign a sister-state relationship with Kyiv Oblast.
Zelensky wrapped up his visit to Washington with additional pledges of assistance from the allies, including a new military aid package from Washington.
The meeting concluded with the signing of the Ukraine Compact, a security framework backed by all 32 member states that creates "a unified and comprehensive security architecture to support Ukraine today and in the future, in war and in peace."
Abbey Fenbert
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