WASHINGTON (AP) —

The Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to confirm the new U.S. ambassador to Russia.

Hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to arrive in Washington for a historic visit, senators voted to 93-2 to confirm career diplomat Lynne M. Tracy as the new ambassador to Russia. Some viewed it as a signal of the American commitment to war-torn Ukraine as it confronts the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber’s session by saying that Wednesday’s passage of a fresh $45 billion military aid package for Ukraine and confirmation of the new U.S. ambassador to Russia would send a strong signal that Americans stand “unequivocally” with the Ukrainian people.

Tracy, a career member of the Foreign Service, “will be tasked with standing up to Putin,” Schumer said.