Colorado Gov. Jared Polis met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday as state leaders from across the nation gathered for the National Governors Association’s summer conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Zelenskyy met privately with governors before addressing the attendees to discuss Ukraine’s defense operations and its deployment of American funding.

He described the Russian invasion of his country in stark, religious terms.  

“There are different wars in the world, but this is a war where it’s absolutely clear what is good, and what boundaries evil will cross,” Zelenskyy said. “This is one of the most transparent battles between good and evil of our time. It’s clear that Ukraine has done nothing wrong before God. And all the pain our country suffers is only the result of Russia’s criminal actions and unprovoked aggression.”

Polis, who is the NGA’s incoming chair, assured Zelenskyy of the group’s support for the Ukrainian people.

“Colorado stands in solidarity with the brave Ukrainian people as they defend their home and their freedom against Putin’s aggression,” Polis said.“The United States plays a critical role in supporting our international allies, and governors appreciated the opportunity to have a candid conversation with President Zelenskyy on the efforts to beat Putin and restore democracy to every part of Ukraine.”

Polis added: “We reiterated our full support as Ukraine stands up against Russia’s attack on global security and stability.”

This is not the first time U.S. governors have convened as a group with Zelenskyy.

Back in April, they met with the Ukrainian leader via video conference for an update on the humanitarian and security situation and to express support for the Ukrainian people.

“I have said many times that we do not ask the United States and other partners to fight for us,” Zelenskyy said. “We do not ask for your boots on the ground. The only thing we ask for is sufficient support, air defense systems for our cities, weapons for our men and women on the frontlines, and support in protecting normal life and rebuilding.”

“This is all we need to withstand and drive Russia from our land. And to send a strong signal to all other potential aggressors, which are watching,” he added. 

Since the invasion of Ukraine began, Colorado has cut diplomatic ties with Russia and condemned Putin’s actions.

The Polis administration also took several steps to support Ukraine, including directing state agencies to terminate contracts with Russian state-owned contractors or subcontractors and for institutions of higher education to divest of any connections to Russian state-owned companies.

Colorado PERA divested $7.2 million from a Russian bank and Polis urged them to completely divest the PERA Trust Fund from all Russian state-owned companies.

In addition, the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs collected and sent ballistic helmets and surplus body armor to Ukraine.

“So many people and countries have united to help us save our freedom, and thus the common human understanding that evil must always, always lose,” Zelenskyy said. “What else would our world rely on if evil doesn’t lose, and good unite?”

Also on Thursday, Zelensky embraced the support of allies who have provided substantial new military aid and a path to joining NATO, even as he emphatically pushed for the help to arrive faster and for restrictions to be lifted on the use of U.S. weapons to attack military targets inside Russia.

“If we want to win, if we want to prevail, if we want to save our country and to defend it, we need to lift all the limitations,” Zelensky said alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in the final hours of a summit that saw Ukraine receive fresh commitments of weapons to firm up its defense against Russia.

The summit unfolded against the backdrop of a tumultuous American political cycle, with mounting angst among Democrats about President Joe Biden’s ability to serve another four years following a debate flop two weeks ago that threw the future of his presidency into doubt. An untimely verbal flub Thursday evening did little to soothe those concerns, when Biden at an event for the unveiling of an agreement called the Ukraine Compact mistakenly introduced Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The room, and Zelensky, gasped at Biden’s gaffe, which the U.S. president quickly sought to clean up by saying, “President Putin? You’re going to beat President Putin,” Biden said to Zelensky. “I’m so focused on beating Putin, we got to worry about it.”

Ukraine has been the main focus for European and North American leaders at the summit of the 75-year-old military alliance, with Biden earlier in the day announcing a new military aid package and pledging to Zelensky: “We will stay with you, period.”

Though Zelensky offered public thanks for the package and a promise by NATO leaders that Ukraine is now on an “irreversible path” to membership in the military alliance, he also sounded an alarm: Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia, now in its third year, unless the U.S. ends limits on the use of its weapons to attack military targets in Russia.

The Biden administration allows Ukraine to fire weapons into Russian territory only for the purpose of hitting back against Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack them, concerned that the broader use of American-made weaponry could provoke Russia to widen the war.

But Zelensky has been pressing for greater latitude so that U.S. weapons could be used to hit critical military bases and installations deeper in Russian territory.

The calls to drop the restrictions have grown in recent months, in the wake of Russian military gains during months in which political battles in the U.S. delayed vital military support for Ukraine.