 President Zelenskyy and President Biden hold a press conference in theEast Room of theWhite House, 21 December 2022. | |
| Date | December 21–22, 2022 (2022-12-21 –2022-12-22) |
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| Location | Washington, D.C., United States |
On 21 December 2022,Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thepresident of Ukraine, visited theUnited States. During his 10-hour visit,[1] Zelenskyy met withJoe Biden, thepresident of the United States, held a joint press conference, and addressed ajoint session of the United States Congress.US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken announced a US$1.85 billion military aid package for Ukraine ahead of Zelenskyy's visit.[2] Zelenskyy's visit to Washington, D.C. is his first overseas trip since theRussian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.[3]
On 24 February 2022,Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of theRusso-Ukrainian War.[4][5][6] At the beginning of the invasion, Zelenskyy declined offers of evacuation from the United States.[7] The United States assisted Ukraine and Zelenskyy by other means, with the U.S. giving the most assistance to Ukraine throughout the invasion of any foreign nation—around US$50 billion at the time of Zelenskyy's visit.[8]
This was Zelenskyy's first visit to the White House, although he had met with Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, in 2019, "on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly's opening sessions in New York."[9]
Informal discussions about the trip began on 11 December, and after the invitation was extended and accepted, planning began on 18 December. Zelenskyy traveled by train toPrzemyśl, Poland, where he was joined by U.S. ambassadorBridget Brink, "transported in a U.S. Embassy vehicle to anairport in Rzeszów," and then traveled, via a U.S. Air Force jet typically used byCabinet-level officials, toJoint Base Andrews.[1]
Zelenskyy arrived in the country fromRzeszów,Poland aboard aUnited States Air ForceC-40B.[10][11] During his visit to the United States, Zelenskyy met with the president, Joe Biden. Biden pledged aPatriot missile system for the use of Ukraine againstaircraft,ballistic, andcruise missiles.[2][12][13] The Patriot system had been previously asked for by Ukraine.[14]
Zelenskyy presented Biden with a medal that had been awarded to a Ukrainian officer responsible for a U.S.-furnishedHIMARS system "that the officer wanted Biden to have."[15]
After meeting with Biden, Zelenskyy gave a speech, in English, to a joint session of the United States Congress. In his speech, Zelenskyy called for increased aid to Ukraine. Following his speech, Zelenskyy gave a Ukrainian flag signed by Ukrainian soldiers fighting at theBattle of Bakhmut to Vice President of the United StatesKamala Harris andSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi. In return, Pelosi presented Zelenskyy with a U.S. flag, which had flown over theCapitol that day. Zelenskyy carried the flag with him as he departed the House chamber.[16][17]
Pelosi later compared the visit toWinston Churchill's address to Congress,[citation needed]
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The Associated Press, citing a security analyst, wrote "Zelenskyy's mission of keeping America engaged is a difficult one, but he is up to the task."[15] David Sanger of theNew York Times argued that Zelenskyy's true purpose was appealing "to the minority of Republicans who are reluctant to spend more in a conflict whose end is nowhere in sight..." To this end, Zelenskyy reminded Congress that Iran's assistance to Russia might ultimately impact close U.S. ally Israel, essentially urging Congressmembers hesitant to invest more in Ukraine to see it as part of a broader defense of Western interests.[18]
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