Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on his way to Washington D.C., on Wednesday to speak with President Joe Biden on the 300th day of the war between Ukraine and Russia, after which he will speak to a joint session of Congress.
The schedule, subject to change, indicates Zelenskyy was to arrive at the White House at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a meeting and press conference with the president, and address Congress at about 7:30 p.m. Newsmax will cover all public events live.
The schedule:
- 2:00 PM: Biden welcomes Zelenskyy to the White House South Lawn.
- 2:30 PM: Biden holds a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
- 4:30 PM: Biden hosts a joint press conference with Zelenskyy in the East Room of the White House.
- 7:30 PM: Zelenskyy addresses Congress.
Biden early Wednesday posted a tweet to Zelenskyy and indicated the Ukrainian president was still on his way to the U.S. In the post, Biden told Zelenskyy that "I hope you're having a good flight, Volodymyr. I'm thrilled to have you here. Much to discuss."
The tweet was posted as of 8:27 a.m. in response to a message posted by Zelenskyy at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, in which he said, using flag emojis for the U.S. and Ukraine, that he was "on my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of [Ukraine]. In particular, @POTUS and I will discuss cooperation between [Ukraine] and [the United States]. I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings."
Biden planned on Wednesday to unveil a new $2 billion package of weapons, including a Patriot missile battery to boost Ukraine against Russia's attacks on its critical infrastructure.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday, quoting an official speaking to reporters on the condition of anonymity before Biden's formal announcement, that Ukraine will receive one Patriot battery containing up to eight launchers each and holding four to 16 missiles, depending on the type of munition.
Forces from the U.S. will train Ukrainians to operate and maintain the system in a third country, likely Germany.
"This will take some time but Ukrainian troops will take that training back to their country to operate this battery," the official said. It's unlikely that Ukraine will have the air defense system before this spring.
The official further commented that during the trip, Biden will reinforce to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian people, Americans, and the world, that "the United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
"This isn't about sending a message to a particular political party," the source said. "This is about sending a message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and sending a message to the world that America will be there for Ukraine for as long as it takes."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in a statement about Zelenskyy's visit, said Biden had invited him to visit to "underscore the United States' enduring commitment to Ukraine."
"Three hundred days ago, Russia launched a brutal assault against Ukraine," Jean-Pierre said. "In response, President Biden rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"During the visit, President Biden will announce a significant new package of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. 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."
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