In risky venture out of Ukraine, Zelensky gets warm U.S. welcome — and Patriot missiles
WASHINGTON —
As Washington prepared for a risky wartime visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, the Biden administration announced $1.8 billion in new aid to Ukraine, including a sophisticated Patriot missile battery that the country’s military has long sought.
Zelensky’s visit to D.C., his first known trip outside his nation since Russia invaded 300 days ago, was a close-guarded secret until the eve of his arrival. It is fraught with risk and danger and shrouded in extreme security measures.
The youthful leader, whose nightly video addresses have served as an important morale booster to his people, was scheduled to meet with President Biden, Cabinet members and the U.S. national security team. He will later meet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and deliver a speech to Congress on Capitol Hill.
Zelensky has also used video communication to make impassioned pleas for help to national legislative bodies the world over, as well as the United Nations and gatherings of world leaders at major summits.
An in-person appearance in the capital of Ukraine’s most important ally carries extraordinary significance. Zelensky will be able to emphasize that Ukraine has defied predictions of a swift collapse in the face of Russian military might. He will also be able to draw more attention to his country’s need for continued support.
As some Republicans begin to question whether military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine should continue at current levels, and as certain parts of the U.S. public begin to show signs of impatience with the war effort, Zelensky’s call for steadfast American backing has taken on added urgency.
On Wednesday morning, just hours before Zelensky’s arrival, Biden announced a new tranche of $1.8 billion in aid. That aid will include a Patriot missile battery, the surface-to-air guided missile system Kyiv has requested for months, according to a senior administration official. U.S. forces will train Ukrainians on using the system in a third country, the official said, and “Ukrainian troops will take that training back to their country to operate this battery.”
Lawmakers are also preparing to vote on a $1.7-trillion end-of-year funding bill for 2023 that includes $45 billion of additional economic and security assistance for Ukraine. Some House Republicans have expressed reluctance to approve more assistance for Ukraine after they take control of the lower chamber next year, but a senior administration official told reporters the White House is “confident” of continued bipartisan support for Kyiv. Zelensky’s appearance on Capitol Hill would underscore that commitment, the official added.