Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and U.S. President Joseph Biden will discuss the course of hostilities and further measures aimed at supporting Ukraine during a meeting in Kiev on Monday, February 20, the press service of the Office of the President reported.
As specified, Zelensky met with Biden at the Mariinsky Palace. After introducing the members of the Ukrainian and American delegations, the presidents of Ukraine and the United States talked in a face-to-face format.
Zelensky noted that Biden’s visit was an extremely important signal of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, and stressed that Biden personally and the entire American society have been with Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war unleashed by Russia.
“The first phone call of support for Ukraine was from the White House. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you also for the bipartisan support, for the support from Congress,” he said.
The president of Ukraine said he would talk to the U.S. president about the situation on the front lines and also about the Ukrainian people, who are going through a very difficult time.
“What we have to do to stop the war, to have success in this war, to make Ukraine even stronger and how to win this year,” he said.
For his part, Biden noted the importance of his presence in Ukraine today, which demonstrates U.S. support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“I think it would be critical to leave no doubt that the U.S. supports Ukraine in its war against brutal aggression,” he said.
The U.S. president described his intention to discuss how the United States and allies can effectively help Ukraine fight for freedom and independence. He also conveyed greetings from members of Congress. According to Biden, they were very impressed by Zelensky’s recent speech to Congress.
He also said he was glad to visit Kiev again.
“A lot has changed since the last trip. Terrible things have happened, the invasion, but at the same time, the Ukrainians have shown themselves in a way that very few nations have ever shown themselves in their defense. And they helped us understand the importance of democracy,” Biden stressed.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the information about the visit of his American counterpart Joe Biden to Kyiv.
“Joseph Biden, welcome to Kyiv! Your visit is an extremely important manifestation of support for all Ukrainians,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
In turn, the White House commented on the meeting between Biden and Zelenskyy.
“I will announce another shipment of critical equipment, including artillery munitions, anti-tank systems, and air surveillance radars, to help protect the Ukrainian people from aerial bombardment.
And I will share that later this week we will announce additional sanctions against elites and companies that try to evade or engage the Russian war machine,” the White House said in a statement on its website.
After his visit to Kyiv, the US president will travel to Poland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his American counterpart Joseph Biden for the support of the Ukrainian people.
“Joseph Biden, thank you for the support of our people!” he wrote in his telegram channel.
According to the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, “this visit is carried out on the eve of the new year, which can be extremely important for Ukraine.”
“I’m sure that together we can achieve significant results,” Zelensky stressed.
As reported, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed the president of Ukraine to the White House on the South Lawn. Biden said that the American people, both Democrats and Republicans, were proud to support Ukrainians.
U.S. President Joe Biden will greet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Wednesday, December 21, at 21.00 Kyiv time.
The relevant information was published in the public agenda of the President of the United States.
At 21.30 Kyiv time, President Biden will host a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. At 23.30, Biden and Zelensky are expected to hold a joint press conference.
U.S. President Joe Biden will announce about $2 billion in aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, the White House said.
“President Biden will announce a significant new aid package to Ukraine of approximately $2 billion,” the White House said in a statement.
As part of the package, the U.S. will reportedly provide Ukraine with a battery of Patriot SAMs, “which will be an important asset to protect the Ukrainian people from barbaric Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”
“We will train the Ukrainian military on how to operate a Patriot missile battery in a third country. It will take some time, but the Ukrainian military will return after training to their own country to operate that battery,” a senior White House official stressed.
The U.S. will also continue to prioritize other forms of air defense support, including NASAMS, HAWKs, Stingers, and anti-drone equipment.
In addition, the official said the visit will also be an opportunity to note work with Congress to pass a significant supplemental funding package for Ukraine for 2023.
“And we expect a bipartisan package of more than $40 billion in funding for Ukraine,” he said.
Zelensky said earlier that he had traveled to the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience and defense capabilities. “In particular, with Joe Biden will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the United States. I will also speak in Congress and hold a number of bilateral meetings,” he wrote on Twitter.
This is the first visit of the President of Ukraine abroad since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia.
For its part, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing sources, that the Ukrainian delegation during the visit to the USA will ask for ATACMS missiles, as well as drones Gray Eagle and Reaper.
US President Joe Biden has asked Congress to allocate an additional $37.7 billion in aid to Ukraine, AP reported.
The information notes that $21.7 billion is defense aid to continue providing Ukraine with equipment and restocking the Defense Department.
The Biden administration is asking for $14.5 billion for humanitarian aid and support for the functioning of the Ukrainian government, as well as $900 million for health care and support services for Ukrainians living in the United States, and $626 million to support Ukrainian nuclear security and modernize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
