Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the wartime leader of Ukraine, visited the White House for the first time since the start of Russia’s invasion 300 days ago and was welcomed by US President Joe Biden.
During the visit, the US Military said it will give Ukraine its cutting-edge Patriot air defence system for the first time as part of a $1.85 billion military aid package.
Biden vowed to assist Ukraine in fending off the Russian invasion and pursuing a “just peace”, while he sat next to Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, on December 22.
Biden said, “We’re going to continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, particularly air defence, and that’s why we’re going to be providing Ukraine with Patriot missile battery.”
Zelenskyy expressed appreciation to the American people and government. He began by saying, “Thank you first of all,” to the US president. “It’s a great honour to be here.”
Zelenskyy’s visit, according to the White House, will demonstrate Washington’s dedication to helping Kyiv for “as long as it takes, including through the provision of economic, humanitarian, and military assistance”.
Zelenskyy took a train from Ukraine to Poland before being flown by a US military aircraft from Poland to the US.
He was welcomed by the US president and First Lady Jill Biden on the South Lawn of the White House while wearing his customary military garb.
Following his arrival, Zelenskyy wrote on his official Instagram account that he was at the country’s capital to “thank the American people, the President, and the Congress for their much-needed support.” He continued by saying that Ukraine’s “resilience and defence capabilities” will be strengthened by the visit.
The US Congress has authorized tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia began a full-scale invasion in February.
The US sent one of the greatest amounts of assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday. This puts the entire amount of American aid provided to Ukraine since the Biden administration’s inception to $21.9 billion.
The Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, “Today’s assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defence systems.”
According to the Pentagon, the package also includes weaponry like high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMs), precision-guided artillery rounds, and ammo for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS).