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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived astatine the White House connected Dec. 21 up of meetings with President Biden and the U.S. Congress. (Video: The Washington Post)
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Wednesday astatine the White House for a gathering with President Biden that is portion of his archetypal travel extracurricular Ukraine since Russia’s penetration of his state successful February. “Mr. President, invited back,” Biden said earlier putting his limb astir Zelensky and walking him into the White House. Later, Zelensky is scheduled to code a associated gathering of Congress.
Ahead of Zelensky’s arrival, the Biden medication confirmed plans for a caller $1.85 cardinal information assistance bundle that volition see the Patriot rocket system. Zelensky’s quality earlier lawmakers comes arsenic they work to walk a $1.7 trillion spending package, which includes different $44.9 cardinal successful exigency information and economical assistance for Ukraine.
Here’s what to know
- After a gathering and associated quality league with Biden, Zelensky is scheduled to code Congress astatine the invitation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) connected behalf of the bipartisan legislature leadership. In a missive to Zelensky, Pelosi said Americans are “in awe of the heroism of the Ukrainian people.”
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, successful a gathering Wednesday with the Defense Ministry, spoke of “new” Russian territories and claimed that what is happening successful Ukraine “is not the effect of our policies but the effect of 3rd countries.”
- Both Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called connected their colleagues to o.k. further assistance to Ukraine. McConnell said defeating the “Russian invaders” is successful the "cold, hard, applicable American interests.”
After 300 days of war, Zelensky’s Washington sojourn comes astatine pivotal point
Wednesday’s sojourn to Washington is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s archetypal nationalist quality extracurricular his state since Russia invaded 300 days ago, connected Feb. 24. While rallying his federation from wrong Ukraine’s borders, he’s spoken to overseas leaders via videocalls, including the U.S. Congress, which helium addressed on March 16.
When Zelensky ran for bureau successful 2019, helium ran connected the committedness that helium would extremity his nation’s struggle with Russia. But he’d been successful bureau for conscionable nether 2 years erstwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine successful February 2022, aft months of escalating tensions.
National authorities reporter
President Biden and archetypal woman Jill Biden greeted Zelensky astatine the White House soon aft 2 p.m. Wednesday. Zelensky stepped retired of a achromatic conveyance wearing an olive greenish sweater and pants. “Welcome back, Mr. President,” Biden told him. Biden placed his close limb astir Zelensky’s shoulder, and the 3 walked into the White House soon afterward.
Zelensky shares photos of U.S. arrival
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared images of his accomplishment to the United States connected his Instagram account. He landed astatine Joint Base Andrews successful Maryland, wherever helium was greeted by Rufus Gifford, the State Department’s main of protocol.
“I americium successful Washington contiguous to convey the American people, the President and the Congress for their much-needed support,” Zelensky wrote successful Ukrainian successful the caption of the post. “And besides to proceed practice to bring our triumph closer.”
Zelensky is scheduled to get astatine the White House astatine 2 p.m. Eastern for a gathering with President Biden that volition beryllium followed by a associated quality league successful the East Room.
A look astatine the weapons systems the U.S. is providing Ukraine
The Biden medication is providing Ukraine with a $1.85 cardinal assistance bundle that includes its astir precocious ground-based aerial defence system, the Patriot.
The assistance besides includes a fig of different weapons. Here is portion of the package:
- Patriot aerial and rocket defence system, susceptible of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft. This is the archetypal clip U.S. officials person provided this to Ukraine.
- 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds.
- 37 Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
- 120 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs).
- Six armored inferior trucks.
- High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs).
- Over 2,700 grenade launchers and tiny arms.
- Night imaginativeness devices and optics.
- Body armor and different tract equipment.
- 50,000 122mm Grad rockets.
- 100,000 rounds of 125mm vessel ammunition.
- Satellite communications (Satcom) terminals and services.
According to the State Department, astir $1 cardinal of the assistance is from the department’s Presidential Drawdown Authority and $850 cardinal is from Defense Department’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
McCarthy has cautioned against penning Ukraine a ‘blank check’
Republicans volition instrumentality power of the House aboriginal adjacent year, which immoderate lawmakers fearfulness could complicate efforts to proceed backing Ukraine’s defense.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and others person suggested that they volition scrutinize Ukraine spending erstwhile they presume power of the House successful January and person warned against sending “blank checks.”
Still, galore Republicans — peculiarly successful the Senate, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — person voiced unwavering enactment for Ukraine aid
Reporter connected the breaking governmental quality team
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is successful Washington. The Ukrainian leader’s motorcade arrived astatine Blair House — the president’s guesthouse, which sits diagonally crossed the thoroughfare from the White House. The historical gathering is flying a Ukrainian flag, and dense information is surrounding the area.
Zelensky arrives successful U.S. up of gathering with Biden
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has landed astatine Joint Base Andrews successful Maryland up of his gathering astatine the White House with President Biden, a U.S. authoritative said.
The authoritative spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon Zelensky’s travels, the details of which person been intimately guarded due to the fact that of information concerns.
Zelensky is scheduled to get astatine the White House astatine 2 p.m. Eastern for a gathering with Biden that volition beryllium followed by a associated quality league successful the East Room.
At 7:30 p.m. Eastern, Zelensky is scheduled to code a associated gathering of Congress connected Capitol Hill.
Zelensky’s sojourn to D.C. brings thoroughfare closures, imaginable delays
Some streets adjacent the U.S. Capitol volition beryllium closed Wednesday day with the sojourn of Ukraine’s president to the nation’s capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is slated to conscionable President Biden astatine the White House and springiness an code to Congress. It is Zelensky’s archetypal travel extracurricular of his state since the Russian penetration successful February.
This is an excerpt from a afloat story.
Senate votes to corroborate Lynne Tracy arsenic U.S. ambassador to Russia
The Senate voted Wednesday to corroborate Lynne Tracy arsenic the caller U.S. ambassador to Russia, replacing John Sullivan, who stepped down from the station successful September. She was confirmed successful a 93-2 vote.
Tracy, a vocation subordinate of the Foreign Service who was precocious the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, volition beryllium the archetypal pistillate to service arsenic U.S. ambassador to Russia. She antecedently served arsenic lawman main of ngo astatine the U.S. Embassy successful Moscow and speaks Russian.
Tracy volition measurement into her caller relation nether bonzer circumstances: astir 10 months aft Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and returned full-scale warfare to the European continent, and astatine a clip erstwhile relations betwixt the United States and Russia person deteriorated.
Biden announces $1.85 cardinal successful caller subject assistance, including Patriot rocket system
The Biden medication announced a caller $1.85 cardinal subject assistance bundle for Ukraine connected Wednesday, which includes the Patriot rocket system, the astir precocious air-defense limb successful the American arsenal and 1 of Ukraine’s apical requests.
“Today’s assistance for the archetypal clip includes the Patriot Air Defense System, susceptible of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and craft astatine a importantly higher ceiling than antecedently provided air-defense systems,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said successful a connection announcing the latest aid, which helium said was successful effect to Russia’s “ongoing brutal and unprovoked assault.”
Pelosi recalls Churchill up of Zelensky’s code to Congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told lawmakers Wednesday that she is looking guardant to proceeding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “inspiring message” successful his code to a associated gathering to Congress.
“As the combat for state successful Ukraine wages on, we look guardant to proceeding his inspiring connection of courage, unity and determination,” she wrote successful a “Dear Colleague” letter. “ … I anticipation that you volition beryllium determination to beryllium a portion of a precise peculiar evening, which volition beryllium etched into past arsenic good arsenic portion of your legacy.”
House GOP leaders reason spending measure with $44 cardinal for Ukraine
House Republican leaders are urging their members to reason a bipartisan spending measure to money each authorities departments and agencies that besides includes $44 cardinal successful assistance to Ukraine.
The bureau of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) sent a connection Tuesday day to House Republicans astir the $1.7 trillion spending bill: “Leadership recommends a NO vote.”
The main reasons stated are home spending. According to Scalise’s office, the measure contains “millions of dollars toward structure services for migrants,” much than $12 cardinal for the Internal Revenue Service, and much than $3 cardinal for renewable vigor programs astatine the Department of Energy.
Analysis: Mr. Zelensky goes to Washington successful travel packed with symbolism
The United States has said “no” to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before. But helium wasn’t successful Washington to perceive it successful person. Today, that changes, arsenic helium makes the United States his archetypal overseas destination since Russia expanded its warfare successful his state 300 days ago, connected Feb. 24.
In consequent weeks and months, Washington nixed his request to facilitate getting Soviet-era jets from Poland for Ukraine’s aerial force. President Biden bluntly and publically rejected Zelensky’s affectional appeals to enforce a “no-fly” portion implicit Ukraine, informing that it could pb to World War III.
This is an excerpt from a afloat story.
National newsman connected The Post's breaking governmental quality team
The combat for Ukraine is the combat for Democracy itself.
Slava Ukraini. -NP
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Washington, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) connected Wednesday tweeted “Slava Ukraini” — translated, that’s “Glory to Ukraine,” the authoritative salute of Ukraine’s equipped forces.
Understanding the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Understanding the Russia-Ukraine conflict
English (US)