In what will be his first foreign trip since Russia invaded his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington, D.C. late Wednesday to address a joint session of Congress. Several reports suggest that Zelensky was flown to the U.S. by way of Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on a U.S. Air Force Gulfstream C-37B business jet that landed early Wednesday. He is expected to visit Biden in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon.
Nearly 10 months after the Ukrainian leader refused a U.S. offer to evacuate from Kyiv as Russian troops moved in, bluntly responding that he needed ammunition and “not a ride,” Zelensky now appears to be getting both: The White House confirmed late Tuesday that Biden will announce a $2 billion aid package that includes the controversial Patriot weapons system. The system will dramatically increase Ukraine’s ability to protect its airspace—a plea Zelensky has been making since the war began.
Zelensky’s surprise visit comes a day after he visited Ukrainian troops in the front-line city of Bakhmut, where heavy fighting has been underway for months. The Ukrainian president has said he will present U.S. officials with a Ukrainian flag given to him by troops in Bakhmut who asked him to thank America for the provision of weapons.
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“The enemy is increasing the size of its army, but our guys are braver. We need more powerful weapons,” he said Tuesday.
The visit to D.C. will be his first in the U.S. since September 2021, when the focus was on how former President Donald Trump had leaned on him to investigate current President Joe Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine. It is also his first foreign visit anywhere since Russia invaded his country some 300 days ago.
“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine,” Zelensky tweeted early Wednesday morning. “In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S.”
Zelensky is expected to meet with Biden and national security officials, then hold a press conference before addressing the joint meeting of Congress Wednesday night. According to NBC News Chief Washington Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, the visit was “formalized last Sunday after a call between Biden and Zelensky led to an invitation from Biden that was then accepted.”
“President Biden has invited President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine to visit Washington D.C. to underscore the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine,” a statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre confirmed Biden will announce a significant new package of security assistance “to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” adding the United States was committed to “supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week implied that the donation of such a sophisticated defense system could lead to “unpredictable responses,” though it is unclear exactly what that looks like. Putin visited Belarus this week, sending a worrying signal that he may engage his biggest ally in the attack on Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the delivery of the weapons “leads to an aggravation of the conflict,” and the delivery of U.S. arms systems “does not bode well” for Ukraine.
Zelensky and his top aides have recently warned that they expect Russian president Vladimir Putin to renew a large-scale ground invasion with an eye on the capital Kyiv early in the new year. Russia has focused much of its offense on attacking Ukraine infrastructure in recent weeks, to devastating effects. Almost half the country is regularly without power during the brutal Ukraine winter.
Zelensky’s visit, of which the details are understandably under wraps due to security concerns, comes a day after Congress proposed a $45 billion aid package that would both beef up its military efforts and look towards rebuilding the country’s devastated infrastructure.
Zelensky’s personal plea to the joint session is likely also meant to soften up any lawmakers still hesitant to vote in its favor.
