Harris meets with Ukrainian refugees in Poland

Vice President Harris on Thursday met with seven displaced people from Ukraine in Warsaw, Poland; over a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia began its invasion of the country.

Harris thanked the participants for “your willingness, your courage and your time to have this important conversation” to start the roundtable discussion in a classroom at the American School of Warsaw. 

The participants included a Ukrainian advocate for persons with disabilities, a Moroccan university student, a professional film producer from Odessa, a Senegalese community leader and teacher, a LGBTQIA+ rights activist from Kyiv and a Ukrainian energy expert and her daughter. Two government officials and a translator also joined the discussion.

“The conversation we will have this afternoon will help inform the president of the United States and the American people about what you have experienced so we can best support you and your family,” she said. 

Her meeting follows an announcement that the U.S. would provide nearly $53 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which will specifically go toward the United Nations World Food Program to provide food for those fleeing Ukraine or displaced from their homes. 

Harris noted that at least 1.4 million people have fled Ukraine. She met with Polish President Andrzej Duda earlier on Thursday and discussed their commitment to supporting families who have left Ukraine.

“You’ve been through so much. And the people at this table represent well over a million people,” Harris said. 

“You are not alone,” she added. “You are not alone. People around the world are watching. People around the world and expressing their support and asking how they can help.”

U.S. officials estimate that 2 million people have fled Ukraine. The additional funding announced by Harris on Thursday is in addition to nearly $54 million in humanitarian assistance the U.S. has provided for health supplies, blankets and other aid.

Some hope that Harris’s meetings in Poland will lead to the Biden administration announcing plans to take in Ukrainian refugees, beyond providing financial support.

This story was updated at 11:07 a.m.