Murphy visits Ukraine on his way to Munich conference

Gov. Phil Murphy traveled to Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine today to meet with local officials, refugees, displaced children, and orphans.

Murphy met with Governor Maksym Kozytskyy and Shehyni Mayor Oksana Pavusko.

“Nearly a year after the Putin regime’s brutal invasion, we reaffirm our support for the Ukrainian people,” Murphy said in a social media post.

The governor and First Lady Tammy Murphy flew to Poland last night and crossed the border into Ukraine today, his spokesman, Mahen Gunaratna, told the New Jersey Globe.  Murphy has now returned to Poland and will fly to Germany tomorrow to attend the 59th Munich Security Conference.

For security reasons, the Ukraine trip was not on the governor’s public schedule.  That’s standard for American political leaders visiting foreign countries during a war.

A former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Murphy is a member of the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference, which includes Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and several members of Congress.

Murphy will lead a panel discussion on the role of regional and sub-state in foreign policy, his office said.  That will include the local impact on climate change, energy, COVID-19, the state of democracy, and the war in Ukraine.

Promoting our collective security — including cybersecurity, energy security, and critical infrastructure — will make us safer both in New Jersey and abroad,” Murphy said.  “As a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and a current U.S. governor, I know firsthand how important it is for our nation’s leaders to be well-represented at this pivotal international security gathering.”

Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver is serving as acting governor until Murphy returns to New Jersey on Monday afternoon.