Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set to visit White House and Capitol Hill on Wednesday in first U.S. tour since Russian invasion
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may address a special Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday night
- He would also visit Biden at the White House
- Trip is highly dependent on security arrangements
- It would be his first U.S. visit since Russia invaded Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may visit the White House and address a special Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday in his first visit to the U.S. since Russia invaded his country.
The trip is not 100 percent and highly dependent on the security situation.
It’s ‘not confirmed,’ a source familiar with the situation told DailyMail.com. ‘All dependent on security. Leaks not helping.’
Multiple news outlets reported Zelensky’s travel plans, which would include a visit with President Joe Biden at the White House. At that stop, the administration will announcement that it will send Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, CNN reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may address a special Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday night
President Biden told DailyMail.com earlier this month that he would not send U.S. troops to Ukraine but would be ‘sending materials like we have – billions of dollars’
Biden told DailyMail.com earlier this month that he would not send U.S. troops to Ukraine but would be ‘sending materials like we have – billions of dollars.’
Zelensky would also make the trek to Capitol Hill to meet with Congressional leaders and then address them in the House chamber.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi teased a surprise in a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday, encouraging them all to be ‘physically present’ on Wednesday evening.
‘We are ending a very special session of the 117th Congress with legislation that makes progress for the American people as well as support for our Democracy. Please be present for a very special focus on Democracy Wednesday night,’ she said.
Many lawmakers have visited Zelensky in the Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February to show their support.
His visit comes as lawmakers are preparing to pass a federal budget for the next year that includes $44.9 billion for the Ukraine – the biggest amount to date and well above President Joe Biden’s $37 billion request.
The move ensures that funding will flow to the embattled nation for months to come amid questions about whether Republicans, who take control of the House on January 3rd, would continue financial assistance.
Some Republicans are wary of continuing to back Ukraine – both through military aid as well as sanctions imposed on Russia.
In his remarks, Zelensky would thank lawmakers for their support and make his case for why even more funding is needed.
Zelensky has long sought the Patriot missile defense system, which would help his military fend off Russian attacks that have destroyed much of its infrastructure.
But sending the Patriot missiles would be seen as an escalation by the US, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said earlier this month.
‘Earlier, many experts, including those overseas, questioned the rationality of such a step which would lead to an escalation of the conflict and increase the risk of directly dragging the US army into combat,’ Zakharova noted.
The Patriot Missile system is widely considered one of the best and most capable of defending airspace against incoming attacks. Because of its long range, it can potentially shoot down Russian missiles far from their intended targets inside Ukraine.
It is a complicated system, however, that requires dozens of people to operate and usually takes months to train personnel on how to use.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Zelensky in the Ukraine in May, where he gve her the Order of Princess Olga
Zelensky on Tuesday met military officials and handed out awards to Ukrainian servicemen, who have been holding back a fierce and months-long Russian campaign for the city
The Ukrainian president on Tuesday visited the eastern frontline city of Bakhmut, now the epicentre of fighting in Russia’s nearly 10-month invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky met military officials and handed out awards to Ukrainian servicemen, who have been holding back a fierce and months-long Russian campaign for the city.
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