Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky plans to travel to the U.S. capital on Wednesday, the first visit to a foreign country by the Ukrainian leader since the beginning of the Russian invasion of his country.
Once in Washington, Zelenski will meet at the White House with U.S. President Joe Biden, two U.S. congressional sources confirmed to CNN.
The Ukrainian president will also go to the U.S. Capitol to address the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In fact, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, issued a statement hours earlier warning that Congress would hold a session on Wednesday night with «a very special focus on democracy».
The visit, which has not been finalized and has been kept secret for security reasons, will coincide with the Biden Administration’s intention to send Ukraine a new defense aid package that will include Patriot missile systems.
Since February 24, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Zelenski has remained in Kiev and has not left the country, despite the offer of some countries for the president to take refuge in the face of Russia’s aggression.
However, the Ukrainian president has declined all offers, stressing that he, as head of state of his country, should remain during the war. So far, only the country’s first lady has represented Ukraine abroad in person, while the president has done so by means of videoconferences.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)