KYIV, Ukraine (WISH) — Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday vowed to deepen Indiana’s economic, academic and cultural ties to Ukraine as that country continues to fend off Russian aggression.

Holcomb’s unannounced visit came at the end of an economic development trip to Italy and Slovakia. It’s the first time any sitting U.S. governor has visited Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country on Feb. 24, 2022. The governor met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink. He also met with Vitalii Bunechko, the governor of Zhytomyr Oblast, a province in north-central Ukraine along the country’s border with Belarus. Holcomb and Bunechko signed a memorandum of understanding on economic development, academic exchanges and cultural initiatives.

In a joint news conference with Bunechko, Holcomb praised the Ukrainian people’s strength and resourcefulness in their effort to fend off the Russian invasion. He said Indiana’s partnership with Zhytomyr Oblast is a natural fit given both areas’ industrial and agricultural sectors and the presence of several life sciences companies.

“Today, the pen becomes just as important as the sword,” he said. “To my fellow Hoosiers, I say now is the time for construction. And I pray and will prepare for a time soon for reconstruction and recovery.”

Holcomb said the visit has been in the works for several years and is a direct response to Zelenskyy’s visit to the National Governors Association summer meeting in July. In his remarks, Zelenskyy asked for, among other things “support in protecting normal life and rebuilding.”

Following his meetings, Holcomb visited the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, a massive memorial outside the Mykhailivsky Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. The memorial includes photographs and names of Ukrainian servicemembers killed in action since Russia’s initial seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk in 2014.

This is not the first action Holcomb has taken in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Four days after Russia launched its failed effort to capture Kyiv, Holcomb ordered state agencies to review any contracts for possible ties to Russian businesses and asked the Indiana Office of Technology to “strengthen and harden” the state government’s efforts to protect against cyberattacks. The state retirement system eventually identified and divested nearly $150 million worth of investments with Russian ties.

The Republican governor’s vocal support for Ukraine puts him at odds with many in his party, notably former President Donald Trump, who has criticized the large amount of aid America has provided to Ukraine. When News 8 asked if Holcomb had any concerns a future governor might scale back or rescind the memorandum of understanding, Holcomb replied any such decision would be up to that governor. He said Indiana has similar agreements all over the world.

“We’re talking about economic, academic and cultural initiatives and really ramping them up,” he said.

Holcomb’s office said private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation funded the trip.