Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to meet President Joe Biden in Washington where he is expected to arrive on December 21 on his first trip abroad since the start of Russia’s invasion as Congress prepares to vote on a sweeping spending bill that includes a provision to allocate more than $40 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine.
“During the visit, President Biden will announce a significant new package of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” the White House said in a statement, adding that Zelenskiy “will address a joint session of Congress, demonstrating the strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine.”
Zelenskiy’s adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, told Reuters that the visit is “extremely significant” and that it invalidates Moscow’s attempts to drive a wedge between Washington and Kyiv by alleging bilateral relations are becoming cooler.
“Firstly, both the visit itself and the level of planned meetings unequivocally testify to the high degree of trust between the countries. Secondly, this finally puts an end to the attempts by the Russian side…to prove an allegedly growing cooling in our bilateral relations,” Podolyak said in written comments.
“This, of course, is not even close,” Podolyak added. “The United States unequivocally supports Ukraine.”
A senior U.S. administration official said in a call with reporters on December 20 that, during Zelenskiy’s visit, the Biden administration will announce $1.8 billion in already approved military aid to Ukraine that will, for the first time, include a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for their fighter jets.
Before addressing Congress, Zelenskiy is expected to meet one-on-one with Biden at the White House and hold talks with leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties.
“In the meeting tomorrow, President Biden will have the opportunity with President Zelenskiy to have an in-depth strategic discussion, on the way ahead on the battlefield, on the capabilities and training the U.S. and our allies continue to provide to Ukraine,” the official said.
The trip “is something we’ve wanted to do for some time,” he added.
Zelenskiy’s visit comes more than 300 days after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, triggering the biggest war on European soil since the end of World War II. It also coincides with Congress’s consideration of a $1.7 trillion spending package that includes massive aid to Ukraine.
The omnibus bill, as it is known, would fund the U.S. government through September and is expected to pass the House and Senate, though there is discontent among some Republicans, who control half of the 100 Senate seats.
However, the senior official said the Biden administration is confident that support will remain bipartisan.
“So, this isn’t about sending a message to a particular political party. This is about sending a message to Putin and sending a message to the world that America will be there for Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the official said.
Zelenskiy’s visit “doesn’t hurt to get the omnibus bill over the goal line 100 percent,” Andrij Dobriansky, director of communications for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), an influential diaspora group, told RFE/RL.
Ukraine is highly dependent on U.S. military aid to defend itself. The failure to pass the bill could lead to a U.S. government shutdown early next year when Republicans take control of the House and trigger a hold-up of additional aid to Ukraine at a time when many expect Russia to launch a new offensive.
“For Ukraine funding right now, its all about the omnibus,” Dobriansky said.
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