President Joe Biden planned to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday as part of his latest attempt to show his support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion of the Eastern European country.
The president's schedule for public events remains empty, but there was a report on Tuesday that Zelensky would be heading to Washington, DC, and would be present on Capitol Hill to lobby for the continued support of his country. Then Zelensky himself confirmed that he would be going to Washington, DC, on Wednesday. He tweeted:
“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of 🇺🇦. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between 🇺🇦 and 🇺🇸. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings.”
It was reported that the White House had confirmed plans for Biden and Zelensky to meet and take part in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Zelensky will not be leaving Washington, DC, without being greeted with a warm embrace by Biden, according to reports. The Ukrainian president was to be Biden’s guest at the White House.
The president has been proud of his steadfast support of Ukraine following the Russian attack and has rallied American allies to its cause. “The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension,” Biden stated in December, following a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the ongoing conflict.
Biden was excited to announce his plan to offer Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, according to reports, in order to strengthen Ukraine's defense against Russia, a move that will further strengthen America's commitment to the country.
There were plans in place for Zelensky to speak to Congress as well. However, they weren't confirmed because of security concerns.
Congress is currently planning to provide another $45 billion of economic and military aid to Ukraine as part of the massive $1.7-trillion omnibus spending bill that is currently passing through Congress. The new spending will be added to the $66 billion currently authorized by Congress to support Ukraine in its defense and security.
The possibility of funding a planned Ukrainian Independence Park in Washington, DC, was also mentioned after members of Congress released the full text of the huge spending plan.
