Upon his return from a week-long bipartisan delegation trip to Germany, Denmark, Poland, and Greenland, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) shared his thoughts on the state of NATO and meeting Ukrainian refugees.

“If you’ve been watching TV or reading the news for the last two months, you’ve probably seen the human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. But nothing prepares you for meeting with the victims of war face to face. The stories they shared were terrible – horrific stories of pain and death. Seeing the women and children crossing the border from Ukraine into Poland with nothing but the clothes on their backs and what they could manage to carry was heartbreaking. Meeting the targets of Putin’s war crimes firsthand reinforced my resolve to continue supporting the Ukrainian people with the lethal and humanitarian aid they need to defeat Putin’s brutality.

“Putin has so far failed to achieve his strategic goals in Ukraine. He failed to take Kyiv. He failed to fracture NATO – the discussions we had with our allies and partners in Europe showed that we are more united than ever – and he failed to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. Even as some Ukrainians were entering Poland, others were heading back in the other direction to renew their fight. We must continue our robust support for Ukraine. Putin must be held accountable for invading a peaceful neighbor and murdering innocent people.”

In addition to demonstrating the commitment of the U.S. Congress to our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine, Congressman Norcross had the opportunity to visit a Danish coal power plant that has been converted by Ørsted A/S to produce renewable energy, including offshore wind. Offshore wind power is a rapidly growing industry in South Jersey.

“Aside from the tragic human cost of Putin’s war, his aggression also underscores the need to continue our transition to clean energy. Every barrel of Russian oil purchased is fuel for Putin’s war machine. While in Denmark, which has the highest proportion of wind power in the world, I spoke with leaders at Ørsted A/S to inform our transition to clean energy back at home. As South Jersey establishes itself as a hub of American offshore wind expertise, manufacturing, and production, I wanted to gain insight into how wind power is setting their country on track to eliminate fossil fuels while creating good-paying jobs in the process. The visit also allowed me to learn about other technologies and renewable energy sources that could help lower our nation’s carbon emissions.”

See photos from the bipartisan delegation, including with Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz and members of the Army 82nd Airborne Division in Poland here. Congressman Norcross also met with the U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski and the U.S. Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann.

The delegation included Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Representatives Fred Upton (MI-06), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18), Tom Reed (NY-23), Garret Graves (LA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), and Veronica Escobar (TX-16).

The trip included stops in Berlin, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Warsaw, Poland; Rzeszów, Poland (on the Ukrainian border); and Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. 

Congressman Norcross serves on the House Armed Services Committee and chairs its Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee he also serves on the Energy Subcommittee of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. He met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States in February and has been a consistent voice for crippling sanctions and strategic military aid to the Ukrainian government following Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.