Ukrainian President Zelensky will travel to the US to meet President Biden
(Baonghean.vn) - According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the two leaders will discuss joint military projects.
RT news agency reported that the Office of the President of Ukraine recently announced that President Vladimir Zelensky will visit the US on December 12. According to the White House, Mr. Zelensky is preparing to meet his US counterpart at the invitation of Mr. Joe Biden.
“The main topics of the talks in Washington will be the continuation of defense cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, in particular joint projects on the production of weapons and air defense systems, as well as the coordination of efforts of the two countries in the coming year,” the statement said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed Mr Zelensky’s visit in a statement, saying the meeting was intended to “underscore the United States’ unwavering commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine as they defend themselves” amid the conflict with Russia. Washington said the country’s “urgent needs” would be discussed “as Russia escalates its missile and drone attacks”.
On December 10, Mr. Zelensky visited Argentina to congratulate the new liberal president, Javier Milei, on his inauguration. The event marked the first time Ukraine has visited Latin America since its war with Russia began in 2022. Mr. Zelensky also used Mr. Milei’s inauguration as an opportunity to talk to another guest at the event, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is likely to be blocking an EU aid package for Kiev.
Mr Zelensky’s visit to Washington will come three months after he last met Mr Biden at the White House. During those talks, the US leader reiterated his commitment to continue providing military and economic aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia “for as long as necessary”.
Since then, however, Mr. Biden has struggled to win congressional approval for his proposed new $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. A growing number of Republican lawmakers have opposed additional aid to Kiev, citing concerns that Washington is only prolonging the war in Ukraine without a clear strategy to end the conflict.
Republicans in the US Senate voted on December 6 to block a $110.5 billion spending bill that included aid to both Ukraine and Israel. On the day of the Senate vote, Mr. Zelensky was scheduled to address a closed-door meeting of senators, but canceled his appearance via video at the last minute.