Zelensky Made 'Fatal Mistake' by Visiting U.S., Russia Warns

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a "fatal mistake" in visiting the United States this week, Russia warned on Thursday.

Dmitry Belik, a member of the Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee, made the remarks in response to the Ukrainian president's stop in Washington on Wednesday, Zelensky's first known trip outside his country since Russia launched a full-scale invasion on February 24.

Zelensky gave a historic address to U.S. lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol and met President Joe Biden at the White House for a bilateral meeting. Earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken unveiled a $1.85 billion military package for Kyiv that included a Patriot missile system.

The Ukrainian leader for months had requested the U.S. for stronger weapons to shoot down Russian missiles.

Belik said Ukraine's alliance with the United States would end badly for Zelensky's administration.

"All the allies of the United States ended up very badly, being on the sidelines, or rather, in the dustbin of history," he said, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"This has been going on for hundreds of years," the deputy continued. "The Americans have only one ally—it is themselves, and all the rest are secondary figures that should ensure their prosperity and who, if something happens, can be betrayed."

Zelensky has made a "fatal mistake" in his choice of allies, Belik said.

"However, he may consider [the U.S.] allies, but he is only a bargaining chip for them, but at the moment it is very profitable," he added, without elaborating.

The Ukrainian president thanked the U.S. for providing assistance and assured that the money is "not charity," but an "investment" in global security and democracy "that we handle in the most responsible way."

Ukraine "will never surrender," Zelensky said in his 32-minute address to Congress, highlighting the strong bilateral relations between his country and the U.S.

"During 300 days of this war, we have really begun a new stage in our relations—Ukraine and the USA—we have reached the level of real alliance, which is 100 percent filled with real content," Zelensky said.

"I want to thank Mr. President Biden once again for his sincere support and, most importantly, his understanding of Ukraine. And also for building and maintaining an international coalition to strengthen the international legal order."

Prior to Zelensky's visit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that deliveries of American weapons to Ukraine will lead to an escalation of the conflict in the war-torn country.

"The supply of arms [by Washington] continues, the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, this does not bode well for Ukraine," he told reporters.

Biden on Wednesday defended his administration's decision to provide Ukraine with the Patriot system.

"It's a defensive system," he said. "It's not escalatory—it's defensive."

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Biden administration for comment.

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