ADVERTISEMENTUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to broaden support for US military aid by telling state governors that the world's leaders should see for themselves the carnage that Russia has caused since it invaded his country more than two years ago.
Zelenskyy's plea at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City came days after NATO leaders met in Washington and pledged more help for Ukraine.
"We do not ask for your boots on the ground. The only thing we ask for is sufficient support," he said.
"Air defence systems for our cities, weapons for our men and women on the frontline, support in protecting normal life and rebuilding. This is all we need to withstand and drive Russia from our land and to send a strong signal to all other potential aggressors which are watching."
NATO members this week agreed to a new programme to provide reliable military aid to Ukraine and prepare for its eventual membership in the alliance.
But many Republicans, including former US President Donald Trump, have been sceptical and in some cases are opposed to continuing to help Ukraine fight off Russia.
US President Joe Biden highlighted NATO's world role and his differences with Trump over Ukraine after the summit.
Zelenskyy received a warm welcome and was introduced to cheers and thunderous applause by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican and the outgoing National Governors Association chairman.
"There are things that happen in world affairs. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who the good guys and the bad guys are. This is not one of those times," Cox said.
Cox and Zelenskyy signed a trade agreement between Utah and the Kyiv region. Several governors of both parties pledged in a closed-door meeting with the Ukrainian leader to urge their states' wealthiest people to give humanitarian aid, said Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat.
Zelenskyy's appeal to governors from both parties could pay dividends if Trump is re-elected in November, Green told the Associated Press.
"If Mr. Trump becomes president again, perhaps he'll listen to some of the Republican governors that were in the room and us, perhaps, as Democratic governors because it’s a humanitarian crisis," he said.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said Zelenskyy made "a very, very good case" that has motivated him to urge others in his party to continue sending aid. Stitt had previously called for "imposing all possible sanctions" on Russia but had not come out in favour of funding the Ukrainian military.
"We need to punch a bully in the nose when he's coming in and trying to take over a sovereign country like Ukraine," Stitt told reporters. "It seems like a pretty good use of funds. These aren't American forces on the ground, these are just simply dollars, weapons, technology. It makes a lot of sense."
While governors don't vote on US military aid to Ukraine, Zelenskyy's appearance showed his willingness to connect with other leaders in America to plead his country's case.