Zelensky planning to visit Washington to address Congress

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at the "Human Rights in Dark Times" International Conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on December 9, 2022. Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on Wednesday to meet President Biden, hold a press conference at the White House and address a joint session of Congress, a senior administration official told reporters.

Why it matters: Zelensky had not left Ukraine since Russia launched its brutal invasion on Feb. 24. During the visit, Biden will announce another $2 billion in U.S. military aid including, for the first time, the Patriot missile defense system.

Zelensky's trip to Washington — which will last just "a few short hours," per the U.S. official — comes 300 days into the invasion, as Ukraine is suffering from massive power outages caused by Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Biden and Zelensky will have an "in-depth, strategic discussion" about the war, military aid and tightening sanctions before Zelensky heads to Capitol Hill, the official said.

Congress is poised to pass $45 billion in additional military and economic aid to Ukraine this week as part of its $1.7 trillion omnibus funding bill, bringing total U.S. assistance to over $100 billion.

Between the lines: Some members of the incoming House Republican majority have expressed deep reservations about continuing to send aid to Ukraine.

The official said the White House expected a big show of bipartisan support for Zelensky during the visit, and hoped that would generate additional "momentum" for continued assistance from the U.S. and its allies.

Zelensky may have a chance to convince some skeptics — or at the very least GOP leadership — that U.S. aid is vital and being used responsibly.

Behind the scenes: Biden and Zelensky discussed a potential visit during a call on Dec. 11, and the plans were confirmed on Sunday, the official said. The news didn't start to emerge until Wednesday evening, a sign of the caution surrounding Zelensky's first foreign trip since the war began.

The official declined to discuss the logistics of Zelensky's travel for security reasons but said the visit would take place during Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Zelensky’s joint address to Congress is scheduled at 7:30pm EST, according to two sources familiar with the plans, which are still subject to change.

Flashback: When Zelensky addressed a joint session of Congress virtually back in March, he summoned some of the darkest days in U.S. history — including Pearl Harbor and 9/11 — in his plea for greater assistance.

For many Americans, the tragedy in Ukraine has receded into the background as fighting rages on with no end in sight.

For Zelensky, nothing else matters: Just Tuesday, he made a surprise trip to the besieged city of Bakhmut to hand out awards to troops involved in one of the war's fiercest battles.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ednorog on December 20th, 2022 at 23:28 UTC »

When the soldiers in Bakhmut gave him that Ukrainian flag today to present to the Americans as a sign of gratitude, him taking it personally to Washington on the next day was not quite what I imagined.

Old-Reference-7389 on December 20th, 2022 at 23:05 UTC »

If I was guessing, they hustled him to a NATO airfield and his plane is already on the way with the type of US escort that says "don't fucking think about it"

SuspiciousStable9649 on December 20th, 2022 at 22:58 UTC »

He’s going straight from the front lines to Congress. Pretty wild.