IRIA News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington to meet President Joe Biden and address the U.S. Congress on his first foreign trip since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022.

Zelenskyy described his U.S. trip as an attempt “to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities” of Ukraine and discuss cooperation between his country and the United States with Biden. The trip comes at a time when the Russia-Ukraine war is taking a new turn as Ukraine is gaining substantial success in its counter-offensive strategy.

During his meeting with Zelenskyy, U.S. President Joe Biden said that Russian President Putin has “waged a brutal assault on Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation”, and launched an attack on “innocent Ukrainian people for no reason other than to intimidate.” Biden vowed that together with the U.S. partners, “We’re also going to continue to impose costs on the Kremlin, and we’ll support Ukraine pursuing a just peace.”

According to the White House briefing, U.S. President Biden told Ukraine’s Zelenskyy that “This visit also falls on the 300-day mark of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Three hundred days since Putin launched an unprovoked, unjustified, all-out assault on the free people of Ukraine. Three hundred days of Ukrainian people showing Russia and the world their steel backbone, their love of country, and their unbreakable determination — and I emphasize “unbreakable determination” — to choose their own path.”

I had the honor of sitting down with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

We’ve been in communication throughout the war, but it was meaningful to speak in person. I told President Zelenskyy the United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. pic.twitter.com/l5HwdXmaBW

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 22, 2022

The White House statement highlighted that the U.S. as well as more than 50 nations have committed nearly 2,000 tanks and other armored vehicles; more than 800 artillery systems; around 2 million rounds of artillery ammunition; and more than 50 advanced multiple rocket launching systems; anti-ship and anti-air defense systems all to strengthen Ukraine.

The statement further read that the U.S. and its allies have “provided billions of dollars in direct budgetary support to make sure the Ukrainian government can keep providing basic, fundamental services to the Ukrainian people like healthcare, education, and emergency personnel.”

U.S. President Biden posted on Twitter, “Today, I’m announcing the next tranche of security assistance to Ukraine: A $1.85 billion package that includes equipment and ammunition contracts. And a Patriot missile battery that we will train forces to operate as part of our efforts to strengthen Ukrainian air defense.”

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy thanked President Biden, the United States government as well as European nations for their continuous support, but said that “the war is not over” yet.

Zelenskyy also presented President Biden with a Ukrainian Medal of Merit on behalf of a Ukrainian captain of the HIMARS battery. Zelenskyy told President Biden that the Ukrainian captain told him to give it [a cross for military merit and a list] to a very brave president of the United States.

📹 Zelensky gave personal merits to Biden from a Ukrainian soldier stationed at the front and a Ukrainian captain operating on the HIMARS battery pic.twitter.com/qObjtidguP

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 21, 2022

According to a statement released by the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “President Biden invited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to visit Washington D.C. to underscore the United States enduring commitment to Ukraine.” The statement further said that “the visit will underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, including through the provision of economic, humanitarian, and military assistance.”

Details of his trip were kept under wraps given the security threats. Despite the heavy shroud placed over Zelensky’s plans, it was widely reported he would travel to Washington to visit Capitol Hill and appear at the White House.

This is Zelensky’s second visit to the United States as president of Ukraine. During his trip, Zelenskyy also delivered a speech at the U.S. Congress as U.S. lawmakers are set to vote on a year-end spending package that includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine as the Pentagon prepares to send Patriot surface-to-air missiles to the country to defend itself.

During his speech from the United States Capitol, Zelenskyy said that “The world is too interconnected and too interdependent to allow someone to stay aside and at the same time to feel safe when such a battle continues. Our two nations are allies in this battle and next year will be a turning point, I know it – the point where Ukrainian courage and American resolve must guarantee the future of our common freedom, the freedom of people who stand for their values.”

The Ukrainian president said during his speech that “The occupiers have a significant advantage in artillery. They have an advantage in ammunition. They have much more missiles and planes than we ever have. It’s true, but our defense forces stand.”

Zelenskyy asserted to the U.S. Congress that “Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.” The Ukrainian president also urged U.S. lawmakers to strengthen sanctions against Russia.

Moscow responded to the reports of Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. by saying that nothing good would come of the visit and that Russia saw no chance of peace talks with Kyiv. “The supply of weapons continues and the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All of this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict. This does not bode well for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters about Western arms supplies to Ukraine.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials have made it clear that the trip would not result in an imminent resolution to the war. All sides are prepared for the fighting to continue for some time. Biden has repeatedly stated on several occasions that although the U.S. will arm and train Ukraine, American forces will not be directly engaged in the conflict.

According to some reports, Biden and Zelenskyy first discussed the idea of a visit to Washington during their most recent phone call, on December 11, and a formal invitation followed three days later. However, it was not until December 20, that reports regarding the trip were confirmed.