The United States and its allies will again demonstrate their solidarity with Ukraine at this week's First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Croatia, a key American ally, regional leader and NATO partner, the Office of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, said in a press release.

Pelosi will be the highest US official to visit Croatia since 2015 when Joe Biden visited the country while he was serving as Vice President.

“It is my privilege to join our European allies and other partners from around the globe in Croatia to deliver an unmistakable statement of our solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” Pelosi said, announcing further support to Kyiv.

“Croatia is a key American ally, regional leader and NATO partner – and our engagements in Zagreb will deepen the bonds between our nations,” she added.

The Crimea Platform coordinates the international response to the Russian annexation of Crimea and other security challenges. Its inaugural summit was held in Kyiv in 2021, and another one took place in a virtual format in August this year. Both were held at the level of heads of state or government. The summit in Zagreb will establish the parliamentary dimension of the Crimea Platform.

“This week, America joins our democratic partners to reaffirm our pledge to stand with the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom and to hold Russia accountable – until victory is won,” Pelosi said.

“Working with historic speed, strength and unity, the United States and our allies have imposed devastating consequences on Russia and delivered game-changing aid to Ukraine,” she added,

Pelosi saluted “Croatian Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, Ukrainian Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, as well as Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for convening leaders of legislatures from the world’s democracies for this timely and important Summit.”

Forty-two delegations from 32 countries will arrive in Zagreb for the Parliamentary Summit. Five countries — Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland and Romania — will be represented by the speakers of both chambers of parliament. Eleven countries have confirmed their participation by video message, including France, Hungary, Japan and Canada.

Also attending will be representatives of the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The summit starts on Tuesday morning with opening remarks by Speaker of the Croatian parliament Gordan Jandrokovic and his Ukrainian counterpart, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk. Those gathered will then be addressed by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will speak via videolink.

The summit is expected to end with a joint statement, and Jandrokovic and Stefanchuk are scheduled to hold a joint press conference.