With his nation bearing the brunt of criminal Russian missile attacks on civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting the U.S. to meet with President Biden and deliver a prime time address to the nation before Congress at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. It's his first known visit outside of Ukraine since Russia's brutal war of aggression began last February 24. The visit is timed to the passage of the omnibus appropriations bill for 2023, which contains an estimated $47 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine in its struggle against Russia, as well as the immediate provision of approximately $2 billion, including a battery of Patriot air defense missiles. From Associated Press:
"The highly sensitive trip is taking place after 10 months of a brutal war that has seen tens of thousands killed and wounded on both sides of the conflict, along with devastation for Ukrainian civilians. It also comes as U.S. lawmakers are set to vote on a year-end spending package that includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and as the Pentagon prepares to send Patriot surface-to-air missiles to the country to defend itself." [snip]
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a statement Tuesday night, said that Biden looks forward to Zelenskyy’s visit and that the address to Congress will demonstrate 'the strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine.'
'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,' she said.
Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet with Biden at the White House in the afternoon and then join Biden for a news conference in the East Room. He was expected to address Congress in the evening."
As he speaks to Congress, cameras will be panning the audience, and will no doubt focus on the extreme right-wingers who have aligned themselves against Ukraine. They remember that their Putin-approved cult leader had tried to extort Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden and his son Hunter, which resulted in his first impeachment. Thanks to Russia's interference in the 2016 elections, they see Putin as something of an ally, despite his stated animus toward the U.S. It will be another revealing moment in politics to watch them frown as the vast majority applaud.
BONUS: From President Zelenskyy --
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.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 21, 2022
Ukrainian troops presented Zelensky a signed flag for him to pass on to the U.S. Congress for their efforts to provide military support to Ukraine, according to state tv channel Freedom. pic.twitter.com/PvRvhJ8ivO
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) December 20, 2022
(photo: Zelenskyy at the Przemysl, Poland train station near the Polish/Ukrainian border. Reuters)
