UKRAINE PRESIDENT ZELENSKIY DUE IN US TO MEET BIDEN AND ADDRESS CONGRESS

Wed 21 December 2022:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will travel to Washington and is expected to visit the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Punchbowl News reported on Tuesday, citing nine sources familiar with the matter.

“(Biden) will reinforce the fundamental message on this trip to President Zelensky directly – to the Ukrainian people, the American people and the world publicly – that the United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” a senior administration official said.

Zelensky, who the official said was “very keen” to visit the US, determined those parameters met his needs, and the US set to work executing them. The trip was finally confirmed on Sunday.

US officials declined to provide additional details about the security arrangements ahead of the trip, including whether Zelensky flew aboard a US military aircraft out of his country. Transit in and out of the country has been exceedingly difficult. Western leaders who have visited Kyiv over the past year have journeyed on a lengthy train ride from Poland.

Zelenskiy is expected to meet congressional leadership and national-security committee chiefs from the Republican and Democratic parties, Punchbowl News added.

During the trip, which would be Zelenskiy’s first foreign visit since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Ukrainian president was expected to address a joint session of Congress, the report added.

Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there would be a session of Congress on Wednesday night which would have a “very special focus on democracy.”

Pelosi’s remarks, which came in a letter, did not elaborate on what the session would be about. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reported visit by Zelenskiy.

$1.8 billion package

The timing appeared ripe for Zelensky to make a dramatic gesture like slipping out of Ukraine for the first time since the invasion began. For Biden, the visit presents an opportunity to reinforce his convictions for supporting Ukraine, even as the war plods on.

The new, $1.8 billion package Biden will unveil includes a Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which has been a longstanding request of Ukraine’s to fend of Russian air attacks.

Unlike smaller air defense systems, Patriot missile batteries need much larger crews, requiring dozens of personnel to properly operate them. The training for Patriot missile batteries normally takes multiple months, a process the United States will now carry out under the pressure of near-daily aerial attacks from Russia.

The system is widely considered one of the most capable long-range weapons to defend airspace against incoming ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as some aircraft. Because of its long-range and high-altitude capability, it can potentially shoot down Russian missiles and aircraft far from their intended targets inside Ukraine.

Russia has warned on unspecific “consequences” if the US provided Ukraine with Patriot missiles, viewing the shipments as further US engagement in the war. The official was clear, however, that Biden remained steadfast in keeping the United States out of direct conflict with Russia, despite the enhanced security assistance.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent