Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, traveled to Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with President Joe Biden and to address Congress in an effort to boost public support for his nation and send a resolute message to its Russian occupiers.
Zelenskyy stated on Twitter that the purpose of the travel, his first known journey outside of Ukraine since the crisis started in February, was to “strengthen resilience and defense capabilities” of Ukraine and to explore collaboration with the United States of America.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to speak to a joint session of Congress at 7:30 p.m. ET. You can watch it in real time on YouTube, and Mandy News will also give you the transcript.
The extremely sensitive visit happened after ten months of a bloody conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides and left Ukrainian residents in ruins.
Congress is going to vote on a spending measure that included roughly $45 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine, and the United States will announce its largest ever single transfer of weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missiles.
Zelenskyy left for abroad following a perilous journey on Tuesday to the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s disputable Donetsk province, which he described as the hotspot on the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) front line of the war.
With the sound of artillery in the background, the president hailed the “courage, resilience, and strength” of the Ukrainian military.
According to TVN24, Zelenskyy entered Poland early on Wednesday while traveling to Washington.
The channel aired video of someone who seemed to be Zelenskyy entering at a train station and being taken to a motorcade.
According to TVN24, the slightly blurred footage was recorded in Przemysl, a Polish border town that has served as a staging ground for numerous people fleeing the violence. U.S. officials kept quiet about Zelenskyy’s travel plans due to security reasons.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Biden at the White House in the late afternoon before joining Biden in the East Room for a press conference. The evening address to Congress was anticipated.
Zelenskyy was invited to address lawmakers by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted that “the struggle for Ukraine is the fight for democracy itself” and that they were eager to hear “your inspiring message of unity, resilience, and determination.”
Officials from the United States and Ukraine have made it plain that they do not expect the war to end anytime soon and are preparing for a prolonged period of fighting. The most recent American financial contribution would be the largest thus far and go above Biden’s $37 billion proposal.
While the United States will supply and train Ukraine, Biden has emphasized that American forces would not be directly involved in the conflict.
According to a senior U.S. government official, Biden and Zelenskyy initially broached the subject of a visit during a phone call on December 11, and a formal invitation followed three days later. The invitation was accepted by Zelenskyy on Friday, and it was officially confirmed on Sunday when the White House started working with California Democrat Nancy Pelosi to plan the congressional address.
Video credit: YouTube/AP
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