WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Joe Biden on the White Space Wednesday forward of a scheduled deal with to a joint consultation of Congress later within the night time. The go back and forth used to be Zelenskyy’s first identified wartime go back and forth out of doors Ukraine for the reason that get started of Russia’s invasion remaining February.
Zelenskyy arrived on the White Space in a while after 2 p.m. for a bilateral assembly with Biden, who used to be joined by way of Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Legal professional Common Merrick Garland.
“It is an honor to be by way of your aspect, united in protection in what’s a brutal, brutal conflict,” Biden mentioned to Zelenskyy within the Oval Workplace, forward of the bilateral assembly.
“The Ukrainian other people proceed to encourage the arena, and I imply that sincerely,” mentioned Biden. “Now not simply encourage us, however encourage the arena with their braveness and the way they’ve selected resilience and unravel for his or her long run.”
The 2 leaders plan to carry a joint press convention after the assembly wraps up, these days scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET.
Zelenskyy’s discuss with got here because the U.S. Senate ready to vote on an omnibus spending invoice that incorporates roughly $45 billion of each army and financial support to Ukraine within the coming yr, billions greater than Biden to begin with asked in November.
Along with the cash within the omnibus invoice, the Biden management introduced a bundle of just about $2 billion in safety help all over Zelenskyy’s discuss with.
“We are going to proceed to toughen Ukraine’s talent to protect itself, in particular air protection,” Biden mentioned at first of the 2 leaders’ assembly. “That is why we are going to be offering Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, and coaching your forces so to correctly use it.”
Till now, america has resisted sending a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, in part over considerations that Ukrainian troops would combat to correctly use the advanced, multi-part weapon, which calls for dozens of squaddies to function it.
Like Wednesday’s support bundle, the help being thought to be by way of Congress is basically army, with greater than $20 billion to offer guns and gear to Ukraine’s military, who’re waging a sour battle in freezing temperatures to recapture territories occupied by way of Russian troops.
This determine additionally comprises investment to fill up U.S. Protection Division stockpiles which have been depleted after just about a yr of offering materiel to Ukraine.
Any other $6.2 billion is earmarked for the hundreds of American troops that Biden ordered to deploy to Japanese Europe in a while after Russia’s invasion. They’re in large part stationed in Romania and Poland.
A employee installs Ukrainian and U.S. flags close to the U.S. Capitol forward of a discuss with by way of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and an deal with to a joint assembly of Congress in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
In the meantime, Ukrainian civilians are below close to consistent bombardment by way of Russian missiles and drones, that have destroyed huge swaths of the rustic’s electric grid and water infrastructure.
If the Senate approves the yearlong govt investment invoice, it will cross to the Space, the place Democratic management needs to cross it and ship it to Biden’s table prior to they go away for the vacation recess on Thursday.
The Biden management and Ukraine’s many supporters in Congress additionally hope that Zelenskyy’s discuss with will assist company up congressional beef up for the huge support bundle.
After just about a yr of conflict, some Republicans have begun to overtly query whether or not the U.S. must stay investment the Ukrainian army.
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