Biden is expected to announce a nearly $2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine, according to a senior White House official.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is set to meet with President Biden and Congress in Washington D.C.
Zelenskyy announced in a tweet early in the morning on Dec. 21 that he was en route.
“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings.”
White House officials released a statement in regard to the reasoning behind the Ukrainian president's visit, saying, “President Biden has invited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to visit Washington D.C. to underscore the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine.”
President Biden is expected to announce a new package of close to two billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine, according to a senior administration official for the White House. This will be in addition to the anticipated bipartisan package of over $40 million of funding for Ukraine.
This new package includes a Patriot missile battery, which the official said will be, “a critical asset to defend the Ukrainian people against Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. We will train Ukrainian forces on how to operate the Patriot missile battery in a third country.”
During Zelenskyy’s visit, he is expected to visit Capitol Hill to attend a joint session of Congress.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended an invitation to the Ukrainian president to address the joint meeting on Dec. 20. “It is with immense respect and admiration for your extraordinary leadership that I extend on behalf of bipartisan Congressional leadership an invitation to address a Joint Meeting of Congress.”
The visit to both Congress and the White House is meant to show the “strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine,” according to the White House’s statement.
“Three hundred days ago, Russia launched a brutal assault against Ukraine," the statement said. “The visit will underscore the United States’ steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, including through the provision of economic, humanitarian, and military assistance.”
