Rep. Victoria Spartz joins delegation in Belgium, Ukraine as tensions rise

WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz from Indiana is joining a bipartisan delegation to Belgium and Ukraine as tensions in the area increase.

She is joining Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-NY, and Representatives David Cicilline, D-RI, Ami Bera, D-CA, Colin Allred, D-TX, Chrissy Houlahan, D-PA, Tom Malinowski, D-NJ, Sara Jacobs, D-CA, Mark Green, R-TN, August Pfluger, R-TX, and Mikie Sherill, D-NJ.

In Brussels, Belgium, the delegation will meet with representatives from NATO, the EU and its member states to discuss the buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine's border and in Belarus, according to a press release from Spartz's office.

In Kyiv, Ukraine, the delegation will meet with senior officials in the county to discuss the security situation and reinforce the United States' support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the release.

Spartz was born in Ukraine and has previously discussed her childhood in the country. She moved to Noblesville after meeting her husband on a train in Europe.

"With one suitcase, I came to this country for American dream, life and build my future," Spartz told WRTV before the 2020 election.

On Monday, The Associated Press reported Ukraine's leaders are seeking to reassure the nation an invasion from Russia is not imminent.

MORE | Analysis: Crisis in Ukraine a showdown of two world views

On Sunday, the State Department ordered families of all American personnel and non-essential personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave the country. The State Department said the embassy would remain open.

The State Department is also warning all Americans against traveling to Ukraine and Russia because of the tensions the two countries.