Ukraine’s Zelensky to meet Biden
US set to announce fresh defence aid
WASHINGTON: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was to meet US leader Joe Biden and address Congress in Washington yesterday, in a visit the White House said will send Russia a strong message of Western unity.
The secretly arranged trip came on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin planned to meet his top military officials to assess the dire results so far of the war on Ukraine and set goals for next year.
The visit was to “underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
It was Mr Zelensky’s first trip outside Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February, when they planned for a rapid takeover of Kyiv and much of the country.
Instead, the visit to Washington came on the 300th day of a war that has seen Russian forces halted by a stubborn Ukrainian army backed by Western arms, forced to retreat from captured territory and struggling to avoid further setbacks.
“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities [of Ukraine],” Mr Zelensky tweeted, also confirming that he will make a speech to Congress.
Mr Zelensky was to visit the White House where Mr Biden was set to announce a new arms package worth almost $2 billion (69.4 billion baht) that a senior administration official said includes Patriot air defence missiles.
Patriot missiles are seen as crucial to help Kyiv fend off Russia’s punishing missile and drone attacks on its infrastructure.
Mr Zelensky was then expected to address a joint session of Congress, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said would be “a very special focus on democracy.”
The visit was quietly planned, beginning with a phone call between Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky on Dec 11, followed by a formal invitation one week ago and confirmation of the visit on Sunday.
Details of the visit leaked on Tuesday afternoon, with officials stressing to US media that there were still security concerns over Mr Zelensky’s travel.
In White House talks, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky was to discuss the arms and training provided by the United States and allies, sanctions and other pressure on Russia, and economic and humanitarian aid that Ukraine needs, the senior White House official said.
“They will discuss every element of
this conflict, including the situation on the battlefield and including the question of where the war goes from here,” the official said.
Mr Zelensky flew to the United States after a risky visit to the frontlines in Bakhmut, where both sides have endured heavy tolls in constant shooting and shelling over the past two months.