Obama appoints delegation to attend Ukraine inauguration

President Obama appointed Vice President Biden to lead a delegation of lawmakers to Saturday’s inauguration of President-elect Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, the White House announced Thursday.

{mosads}Members of the presidential delegation include: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) as well as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and Daniel B. Baer, ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Poroshenko, a pro-European chocolate magnate, was elected in Ukraine’s presidential election on May 25 and will be sworn into office Saturday. He met Obama in Poland on Wednesday as both leaders were in Warsaw to commemorate the 25th anniversary of free elections in Poland.

The meeting between the two signals a sign of support for the Ukraine government as the country battles pro-Russian separatists in an ongoing crisis.