The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has announced that he is currently on his way to Washington, where he will meet with the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, on Wednesday. This is his first journey outside of the country since the Russian invasion in February.
The White House has also confirmed that the trip will take place and announced that it will provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery. This will significantly enhance the air defense capabilities of the country. In addition, Mr. Zelensky will hold a number of meetings and deliver a speech before Congress.
On Twitter, he said, “On my way to the US to boost the resilience and defense capacities of Ukraine.” He was already in the United States. Mr. Zelensky has paid visits to various military installations across the country and frequently entertains visiting world leaders in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Additionally, the President of Ukraine has had several conversations with other heads of state over the phone and through video call, the majority of which have taken place in his office in Kyiv.
During the briefing that took place in advance of Mr. Zelensky’s arrival, the White House acknowledged the creation of a new package of nearly $2 billion (£1.6 billion) in security aid for Ukraine.
This involves the deployment of a brand-new Patriot missile defense system that will assist Ukraine in warding off any strikes launched by Russia against its infrastructure. The Ukrainian government has been lobbying Western nations for quite some time now to supply it with more robust air defense systems.
Russia has been attacking the energy industry of Ukraine, which has resulted in millions of people being left in the dark throughout the winter months when temperatures are several degrees below freezing.
The White House has stated that it will educate Ukrainian forces on how to use the Patriot system in a “third country” and that this “will take some time” to accomplish. In addition, efforts are also being made in the United States to pass a package that would provide additional financing to Ukraine totaling more than $40 billion (£33 billion) between now and 2023.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has contributed significantly more money than any other country has in terms of overall spending on direct military support. According to Ukraine’s President Zelensky, the country’s monthly defense spending comes to approximately $5 billion (£4.1 billion).
However, the unexpected trip to a country outside of Ukraine is a first for the Ukrainian leader since the conflict broke out. It also emphasises the importance of Ukraine’s relationship with the United States, which has been the primary source of military assistance.His visit to Washington comes just one day after an unannounced visit to Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been engaged in a hard and protracted battle for the past few months.
According to the president, he interacted with military personnel and presented medals to service members.
The visit was a significant showing of defiance as well as a display of solidarity for Ukrainian forces that have been engaged in some of the bloodiest fighting in recent weeks.
In a moment that was caught on tape, soldiers presented Mr. Zelensky with a Ukrainian flag that had their names written on it and asked him to gift the banner to President Biden as well as members of Congress in the United States. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented medals to figures involved in the Russian invasion. The ceremony took place within the Kremlin.
As of February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States military believes that at least 40,000 civilians have been killed, along with at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel who have been killed or injured.
The United Nations estimates that 7.8 million people are currently living as refugees across Europe, including in Russia. The number does not, however, account for people who have been compelled to evacuate their homes but who have chosen to remain in Ukraine.