Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski arrived Friday in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, after his trip to the United States, where he met with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, and addressed the U.S. Congress in the midst of a war with Russia.
«Hello to everyone. I wish you all good health, do you hear? Our phones are already set to keep working. I’m in the office. We are working to achieve victory,» he said in a message disseminated through Facebook in which he assured that «they will win».
Shortly after, he participated via videoconference in a meeting with Ukrainian ambassadors in which he said that it is not ruled out that he could make more trips abroad in the near future if there is a «potential strategic content» for Ukrainian interests in this war with Russia.
Zelenski has asked his diplomats to consider this visit to Washington as «a very important turning point» for Ukraine’s interests, at a time when the war has prevented him from meeting in person with his allies.
While the Ukrainian president has regretted not having the «time» or «opportunity» to make such trips, he stressed that the current format of meeting with his international partners has been «quite effective.»
However, he noted that if there is a possibility to conduct a foreign visit with such a «significant and important strategic» outcome as the one achieved in the United States, then, «as an exception to the general wartime practice,» there could be more such meetings.
Zelenski told his ambassadors that the visit to President Joe Biden was «productive» as important decisions were taken with which it will be possible to «strengthen» the Ukrainian air defense, advancing that «in the coming months» the scope of all these agreements will be known.
The president left the country on December 21 as part of his first visit abroad since the Russian invasion began at the end of February. During the meeting in Washington, another $1.8 billion worth of aid to Ukraine was confirmed, including the long-awaited Patriot anti-aircraft defense system. On Thursday, on his return trip to Ukraine, he also took the opportunity to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
In his speech to the U.S. Congress, Zelenski assured that «Ukraine will never surrender» despite the actions of Russian troops on its territory and stressed that Washington’s economic and military aid is «an investment in global security.»
«Against all odds and pessimistic scenarios, Ukraine has not fallen. Ukraine is alive and kicking,» he said at the beginning of his speech. «Ukrainians are not afraid, and the world should not be afraid either,» he said.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
