Senator Angus King reports about his visit to Ukraine's president Vladimir Zelensky

 A Visit to Protect Freedom and Democracy- news from Maine Senator Angus King. (President Zelensky seems to spell his name ending with two "y's".)

A few weeks ago, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Senator Angus King traveled to Ukraine to meet President Zelenskyy and his national security cabinet.

Senator Reed (left) of Rhode Island with Ukraine President Vladimir Zelenskyyand Maine Senator Angus King (right). Note the image of Joshua Chamberlain on Senator King's sweat shirt.

Senator King wrote: A wise old man once told me that “one day of seeing is better than 100 days of reading” and that was certainly true in this case. 

To see the determination and courage of the Ukrainian people first hand was a powerful reminder that they are not only fighting (and dying) for their own land, but for the values of freedom and justice we share with them.

I saw two wars taking place in Ukraine: one a brutal clash between militaries that resembles the trench warfare of World War I, the other a merciless bombing campaign against civilians. As Ukrainians wage a historic defense of democratic values and their homeland, they deserve unwavering support and assistance from the free world.

The assistance we are supplying them is not charity but is an investment in preventing a wider war that could engulf the world. Had an investment like this been made in 1938 when Hitler “annexed” the Sudetenland, so much of the horrors of World War II could have been avoided and millions of lives could have been saved. That is what's at stake today.

One of our key goals was also to make sure that the aid we're providing Ukraine is being used as intended and well accounted for. After asking President Zelenskyy directly about this issue and meeting with military leadership, I must say, it was good to hear he’s taking this issue seriously. In partnership with the U.S. government and private accounting firms, the Ukrainians are meticulously tracking every weapon, spare part, and vehicle they receive. That's not to say the effort will be perfect, but right now Americans can be confident that our support is being put to good use as the arsenal of democracy.

Joshua Chamberlain (1828-1914) fought heroically at the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War, served four terms as governor of Maine and was appointed president of Bowdoin College, in Brunswick.

To demonstrate how much I think of Zelenskyy’s bravery and leadership in the face of a violent autocrat like Putin, I wore a sweatshirt featuring the finest leader to ever come from Maine: Joshua Chamberlain. It seemed very appropriate for the meeting, and President Zelenskyy appreciated hearing about Chamberlain’s place in history.