Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday plans to appear in Washington to meet with President Biden and visit Capitol Hill, first public international appearance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
President Zelensky apparently tweeted before taking off from Poland.
On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of 🇺🇦. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between 🇺🇦 and 🇺🇸. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 21, 2022
An US Air Force Boeing C-40B has departed Rzeszow, Poland, at the border of Ukraine and could be carrying President Zelensky to Washington. The aircraft will land in Camp Springs.
During the visit, Biden will announce a new $1.85 billion security assistance package that will include a Patriot missile battery to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, a senior administration official told reporters Tuesday.
The missile system, the most advanced air defense weapon in the American arsenal, has been a long-held and top request of Kyiv, and the official said the United States will train Ukrainian forces on how to operate it.
Biden and Zelensky plan to hold bilateral meetings and a news conference at the White House before the Ukrainian leader heads to Capitol Hill to deliver a joint address to Congress, according to the official.
Lawmakers are looking to pass a year-end spending package this week that includes about $45 billion in new Ukraine aid, an effort Zelensky is expected to thank Congress for, according to the official and congressional aides with knowledge of the plans.
