President of the United States Joe Biden has greeted his colleague from Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House, and Washington has announced that it will give Ukraine the Patriot air defense missile system as part of a $1.85 billion military aid package.
In the Oval Office on Wednesday, Biden sat next to Zelenskyy and vowed to assist Ukraine in fending off the Russian invasion and pursuing a "fair peace."
The United States will give Ukraine a Patriot missile battery because, according to Biden, "we're going to continue to bolster Ukraine's ability to protect itself, notably air defense."
Zelenskyy thanked the US citizens and government in his brief words. He began by saying, "Thank you, Mr. President. Being here is a huge honor.
Prior to Zelenskyy's arrival to the White House on Wednesday, the US Department of State had announced the military aid.
Zelenskyy's visit, according to the White House, will demonstrate Washington's dedication to helping Kiev for "as long as it takes," including by offering financial, humanitarian, and military support.
Zelenskyy was welcomed by the US president and first wife Jill Biden on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday while wearing his customary military attire.
Zelenskyy was making it clear that he is "the leader of the armed forces of Ukraine, which is battling for its life," according to Alan Fisher of Al Jazeera, who was reporting from the White House.
In many ways, he is leading the struggle for democracy in Eastern Europe, and he is here to remind people of that, Fischer added.
Zelenskyy also wants to emphasize to the US that he needs their backing, according to Fischer.
In order to provide him the resources they require, in his opinion, to win a war that is still very much winnable, Fischer said, "he doesn't want to do is face the Russians on the battlefield and have to fight with his closest ally and his biggest supporter."
Following his arrival, Zelenskyy wrote on his official Instagram account that he was at the nation's capital to "thank the American people, the President, and the Congress for their much-needed support." He continued by saying that Ukraine's "resilience and defense capabilities" will be strengthened by the visit.
Since Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, the US Congress has overwhelmingly approved tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian assistance.
One of the biggest humanitarian announcements to date was made on Wednesday. According to the Department of State, it raises the total amount of American aid provided to Ukraine since the Biden administration's inception to $21.9 billion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "today's assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems."
According to the Pentagon, the package also includes high-speed anti-radiation missiles, precision-guided artillery rounds, and ammo for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) (HARMs).
Following months of demands from Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop NATO expansion into former Soviet countries, Russia invaded its neighbor in February. Putin stated that the "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine" was the aim of the "special military operation."
Moscow's military assault, though, has faced numerous setbacks. In a counteroffensive in the country's east recently, Ukrainian soldiers supported by US weapons recovered substantial tracts of land.
Moscow, which has been bombing Ukrainian infrastructure for weeks, has claimed that sending Western armaments to Kiev will only make the situation worse. Recently, the Kremlin urged the US not to deploy Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine.
On Wednesday evening, Zelenskyy is slated to address a joint session of Congress. He is anticipated to demand increased aid for his nation and penalties against Russia. Since the start of the Russian invasion, this is his first known excursion outside the nation.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, said before the Ukrainian president arrived: "Welcoming a foreign head of state to Congress is always an honor, but it's almost unheard of to hear from a leader who is fighting for his life, fighting for his country's survival, and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy."
It demonstrates how much President Zelenskyy values our continued support for him, the senator stated.
Wednesday morning, the US Senate approved Lynne Tracy, a seasoned diplomat, to serve as the nation's new ambassador to Russia.
Tracy, who once worked as Armenia's ambassador, "will be tasked with standing up to Putin," Schumer said.
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