Biden and Zelensky planning to meet in Washington for Ukrainian president's first foreign trip since war began - CNN

CNN  — 

President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are readying to conscionable astatine the White House connected Wednesday, according to 2 sources acquainted with the readying underway, successful what would beryllium a astonishment sojourn that could alteration based connected information concerns.

The visit, which hasn’t been finalized and has remained tightly held owed to information concerns, volition coincide with the administration’s intent to nonstop the state a caller defence assistance bundle that volition see Patriot rocket systems. It would people Zelensky’s archetypal travel extracurricular Ukraine since the Russian penetration began successful February of this year. His imaginable sojourn to Washington could besides see an code to Congress.

The White House declined to remark connected a imaginable sojourn oregon Biden announcement oregon caller information assistance announcements. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t corroborate reports Zelensky would beryllium coming to the Capitol connected Wednesday, saying, “I don’t cognize that that’s going to happen.”

“We don’t cognize yet. We conscionable don’t know,” she said.

When asked by CNN if the invitation had been made to him, she said: “No. Not until we cognize if helium tin come.”

A sojourn by the Ukrainian person to Washington would magnitude to a important infinitesimal 10 months since Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine began. Zelensky has emerged arsenic an planetary personification of Ukrainian absorption to the penetration and has spent overmuch of the twelvemonth asking nations for support.

He’s delivered those appeals virtually, beaming into planetary summits and planetary legislatures to marque his lawsuit for much weapons and funding. He has remained wrong his state for the duration of the war, a reflection some of his tendency to rally his besieged state and the precarious information concern helium would look extracurricular Ukraine.

At the commencement of the war, Zelensky remained bunkered down successful the superior Kyiv, often addressing the federation from undisclosed locations. More recently, he’s traveled to immoderate of the war’s fronts, including connected Tuesday erstwhile helium visited the frontline metropolis of Bakhmut, successful the Donetsk portion of eastbound Ukraine. Ukrainian and Russian forces person been locked successful brutal conflict determination for months.

Zelensky met with soldiers and handed retired awards, according to his office. Video posted by authorities TV showed the president clad successful fatigues and a flak vest presenting awards to troops. Bakhmut has seen immoderate of the astir ferocious warring successful the full of the state since Russian forces launched their siege connected the metropolis successful earnest successful May, turning it into ruins.

Pelosi has been making calls to members urging them to amusement up to the Capitol connected Wednesday implicit fears the enclosure would beryllium bare up of the vacation recess, 1 subordinate said. Pelosi asked for members to beryllium successful attendance Wednesday nighttime “for a precise peculiar absorption connected Democracy.”

The anticipation from members, per respective sources, is Zelensky volition code Congress connected Wednesday. But the sources caution that this whitethorn not beryllium last yet implicit information concerns.

Ukraine has been calling for the US to nonstop the precocious long-range aerial defence strategy that is highly effectual astatine intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles arsenic it comes nether a barrage of Russian rocket and drone attacks that person destroyed cardinal infrastructure crossed the country.

A Patriot rocket artillery would beryllium the astir effectual long-range antiaircraft weapons strategy sent to the state and officials accidental it volition assistance unafraid airspace for NATO nations successful eastbound Europe. CNN archetypal reported past week that the US is readying to nonstop Patriot systems to Ukraine.

It is not wide how galore rocket launchers will beryllium sent but a emblematic Patriot artillery includes a radar acceptable that detects and tracks targets, computers, powerfulness generating equipment, an engagement power presumption and up to 8 launchers, each holding 4 ready-to-fire missiles.

Once the plans are finalized, the Patriots are expected to vessel rapidly successful the coming days and Ukrainians volition beryllium trained to usage them astatine a US Army basal successful Grafenwoehr, Germany, officials said.

Ukraine has been asking for the strategy for months but the logistical challenges of delivering it and operating it are immense. Despite those obstacles, “the world of what is going connected the ground” led the medication to marque the decision, the elder medication authoritative told CNN, noting the continuing aggravated Russian rocket barrages.

Unlike smaller aerial defence systems, Patriot rocket batteries request overmuch larger crews, requiring dozens of unit to decently run them. The grooming for Patriot rocket batteries usually takes aggregate months, a process the United States volition present transportation retired nether the unit of near-daily aerial attacks from Russia.

The strategy is wide considered 1 of the astir susceptible long-range weapons to support airspace against incoming ballistic and cruise missiles arsenic good arsenic immoderate aircraft. Because of its long-range and high-altitude capability, it tin perchance sprout down Russian missiles and craft acold from their intended targets wrong Ukraine.

This communicative has been updated with further reporting.