Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with President Joe Biden and a speech to Congress in an attempt to rally support for his country.
The highly sensitive trip came after ten months of a brutal war that claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides and devastated Ukrainian civilians. Just prior to his arrival, the United States announced its largest single delivery of arms to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missiles, and Congress planned to vote on a spending package that included approximately $45 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that President Biden is looking forward to Zelenskyy’s visit and that the address to Congress will demonstrate “the strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine.”
“The visit will highlight the United States’ unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, including through economic, humanitarian, and military assistance,” she said.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Biden in the afternoon at the White House before joining Biden for a news conference in the East Room. He was scheduled to address Congress that evening.
Officials in the United States and Ukraine have stated that they do not expect the war to end soon and are bracing for more fighting. While the United States will arm and train Ukraine, President Biden has stated that American forces will not be directly involved in the conflict.
President Biden and Zelenskyy first discussed a visit to Washington during their most recent phone call on December 11, and a formal invitation followed three days later, according to a senior US administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the visit. The invitation was accepted by Zelenskyy on Friday and confirmed on Sunday, when the White House began coordinating with Pelosi to arrange the congressional address.
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