Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb gave a message of support Thursday as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials in the war-torn country’s capital of Kyiv.
Holcomb’s visit marks the first time a U.S. governor has traveled to Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion began in February 2022, the governor’s office said.
His previously unannounced visit to Ukraine came as he was already in Europe for an economic development trip to Slovakia and Italy over the past week — and put Holcomb in contrast to some other top Indiana Republicans over Ukrainian assistance.
Holcomb said showing continued support for Ukraine during its time of need was important.
“I will say that the cost of peace pales in comparison to the cost of a wider war in Europe that would require NATO direct intervention, that would require men and women that wear the uniform outside of Ukraine to enter,” Holcomb said during a news conference with a regional Ukrainian governor.
“We have friends in the world that are sovereign, that believe in freedom, that believe in the rule of law, that are independent, and I stand by my friends,” Holcomb said. “What I can do as a governor from a state in the Midwest is encourage other like-minded individuals that want to help, that want to be that friend indeed. That’s why I’m here.”
Holcomb spoke with Zelenskyy about how Indiana could strengthen its support of Ukraine now and into the future, including through agricultural and life science support, the governor’s office said.
Video and photographs of the meeting between Zelenskyy and Holcomb were posted to the Ukrainian president’s X account.
Zelenskyy’s post said a partnership with individual U.S. states “strengthens both Ukraine and America, our positions in the world, our economies, and our societies.”
“I thank Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb for his comprehensive support of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy’s post said.
Holcomb signed a memorandum of understanding with Zhytomyr Oblast Gov. Vitaliy Bunechko calling for greater economic cooperation and academic and cultural exchanges between Indiana and the region in northwestern Ukraine.
Holcomb said he arrived Thursday in Kyiv after a 14-hour train trip and would leave later in the day after meetings planned with the Ukrainian prime minister, the U.S. ambassador to the country and others.
He also planned to visit the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine to honor those who have died during the war with Russia.
Holcomb recalled visiting a refugee camp for hundreds of Ukrainians in Slovakia during a trip there a month after the Russian invasion.
Holcomb’s show of support for Ukraine contrasts with some fellow Republicans who have criticized U.S. military aid to the country, including former President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun and U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who is the GOP nominee to succeed Braun in the Senate.
Holcomb said he shared the concerns of those worried about what Russian President Vladimir Putin could do next if Ukraine is defeated.
“I don’t trust Putin for one nanosecond,” Holcomb said. “He’s made his designs very public, that he rues the day that the Soviet empire dissolved and is seeking more imperial pursuits out of pure greed, in my opinion, and by all means necessary.”
The offices of Braun and Banks did not comment to State Affairs about Holcomb’s trip to Ukraine and his remarks.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, a consistent supporter of military assistance for Ukraine, voted in April in favor of a package that included $61 billion in aid for the country. Braun and Banks voted against that assistance.
Young’s office declined to comment Thursday on Holcomb’s trip to Ukraine but pointed to an April statement from the senator in which he called the Ukrainian support “vital security assistance.”
“In the aftermath of the last two decades, there is a natural impulse to want to withdraw from our global leadership role and turn our attention inward,” Young said. “But we cannot ignore the cost of such divestment — costs which are manifesting themselves at this very moment.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick said she has always supported U.S. assistance for Ukraine and told reporters Thursday that Braun “has some room to grow in that area.”
“It is alarming, it’s frustrating, it’s sad that we’re still in the situation we are with what Russia is trying to accomplish. A lot of innocent lives are being lost, and it’s really unfortunate,” McCormick said. “So I’m glad that Gov. Holcomb is taking that stance, and my question is, why did it take so long?”
Update: This story has been updated with reaction from other officials.
Tom Davies is a Statehouse reporter for State Affairs Pro Indiana. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @TomDaviesIND.