WASHINGTON, DC - The Congressional Office for International Leadership (COIL) will be hosting three Members of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine from April 25th through April 29th in Washington, D.C. All three members of the Parliament of Ukraine are alumni of the Open World program, and they represent the majority party and the opposition. The members are Halyna Vasylchenko, Non-partisan (Holos), Andrii Zhupanyn Non-partisan (Servant of the People Faction), and Yaroslav Yurchyshyn (Holos).  

During their visit to Washington, D.C., the delegation will discuss the current war that Russia is waging in Ukraine, appropriate responses to this aggression, and planning for a post-war Ukraine. The MPs will meet with leaders from the executive branch, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robin Dunnigan. Also, the trio will have meetings and events with numerous members of Congress representing the Senate Ukraine Caucus, the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Democracy Partnership, and the Helsinki Commission. Her Excellency Ambassador Oksana Markarova will host the MPs at Ukraine House where they will hold a press event followed by a reception with leaders who work on Ukrainian issues.  

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Since 2003, COIL has hosted more than 4,100 Ukrainian leaders who have distinguished themselves in the Verkhovna Rada and throughout Ukrainian society's public and private spheres. The program has fostered lasting professional relationships between up-and-coming leaders, Ukrainians and Americans, dedicated to showcasing transparency and democratic institutions. In the years to come, COIL looks forward to continuing these mutually beneficial exchanges between the two countries to promote greater security, democracy, and prosperity together. COIL is currently developing programmatic strategies for maximum impact for Ukraine amid the current violence.

Through its Open World program, COIL has brought nearly 30,000 global leaders to the United States since its inception in 1999. The program pioneered person-to-person international engagement and provides an immersive experience with delegates' direct professional counterparts, covering a broad spectrum of policy themes rooted within communities across the United States. 

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