The Presidents of the USA and Ukraine, Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, repeatedly promised in Washington this Wednesday that their destinies would remain united for the duration of the war. “You can count on this country’s full support while it lasts. Americans across the board, Democrats and Republicans alike, understand deep down that the fight for Ukraine is part of something much bigger,” Biden told Zelensky at a joint White House appearance this afternoon.
Later, in a Christmas-decorated and press-crammed room in the east wing, the host laid out numbers on that support: an additional $1,850 million military aid package for Kyiv, to which he added $374 million in humanitarian aid. Aside from the money, the most symbolic commitment is the delivery of a battery of long-range Patriot missiles, a weapon with which the United States has so far refused to contribute to Ukraine’s defense efforts against Kremlin aggression, despite Zelensky’s adamant stance against Russian attacks deliver. And it will stay that way, he warned during his visit to Washington, his first trip abroad since the war began in February. “Once we have these patriots in place, we will tell President Biden that … we need more patriots,” Zelenski added, prompting nervous laughter from those in attendance. “We are at war, I’m very sorry,” added Zelenskyy. “They will help us create safe airspace; they will be the only way to stop Russia’s terrorist aggression. We need this help to survive this winter.”
Meeting of Joe Biden and Volodimir Zelenski at the White House Photo: Portal | Video: EPV
Answering questions from pre-selected journalists, two Americans and two Ukrainians, Zelenskiy said, “I want to say to the American people that we share values and that I wish them peace. That’s the main thing, you won’t understand until the war comes to your country, when terrorists come to your home from Russia. And I want you to see your children alive and grown up, to see them going to college.” He also explained what he considers a “just peace” to be: “The one that has no compromises in terms of sovereignty, liberty and territorial integrity of my country and which involves payment of all damages inflicted by the Russian aggression”.
Joe Biden, accompanied by the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, had received his Ukrainian counterpart just after 2 p.m. Eastern time on a beautiful winter day. Both greeted each other with the south facade of the White House in the background: Zelenski in his battle green uniform and Biden in a suit. Dozens of journalists, urgently accredited, waited for them in the open air with great anticipation. The visit, known less than 24 hours in advance, has ignited the imagination of lovers of historical analogies who remember the journey of another “wartime president” 81 years ago this month. Winston Churchill spent Christmas here with the Roosevelts after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
After the brief greeting, both heads of state went to the Oval Office, where Biden Zelenski said that the Ukrainian people “make the world fly”, telling him that he also considers him “the man of the year”, referring to the cover of the Summary number 2022, which Time Magazine recently dedicated to him, and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “weaponizing winter”, referring to the Kremlin’s latest military strategy of using cold as a battering ram. In the press conference after the meeting, the US President returned to this idea: “He freezes people, starves them, isolates them from each other. It is the latest example of the unprecedented atrocities being committed by Russian forces against innocent Ukrainian civilians, children and their families.”
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Zelenski (left) and Joe Biden during their joint press conference at the White House this Wednesday in Washington. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI (AFP)
At the previous bilateral meeting, Zelenski, who had traveled by train to the border with Poland to catch the plane to Washington, replied in English that it was a “great honor” to be in the Oval Office and thanked him for his help thanked “The Americans”. He also wanted to express “all the appreciation”. “Of my heart and that of all my countrymen.” And he presented him with a medal of honor presented to him Tuesday by a captain at the Bakhmut Front, a town in Donetsk’s Donbass region, where the toughest fighting against the Russian army is currently taking place. “He’s a real hero,” Zelenskyy said, “and he asked me to pass this award on to President Biden. He said you would understand.” The recipient of the gift replied that it was “undeserved”.
In the afternoon, the Ukrainian president was due to travel to the Capitol to address a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives before Congress. Congressmen these days are considering passing a omnibus bill containing dozens of budget provisions, including nearly $45 billion in financial aid to Ukraine, before Democrats lose the upper house majority.
“Patriot missiles will be a crucial asset in defending the Ukrainian people from Russia’s barbaric attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. We will train the Ukrainian Armed Forces on how to use them. It’s going to take time,” a senior White House official said in a call Tuesday night with reporters in Washington who asked not to be identified. Unlike smaller defense systems, the Patriots require the help of dozens of operators to function effectively. A battery includes a radar, computers, generators and a control station, as well as eight mini-launchers with four missiles.
Zelenski presents a soldier’s medal to Biden in the Oval Office this Wednesday at the White House. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI (AFP)
It was not clear how long this training will last, although it could be an estimated half a year, nor how this delay might affect the efforts of the Ukrainian army at a time of increasing intensity in the Russian offensive and in the middle of a terrible winter . . The official added that the United States intends to continue “to prioritize other forms of air defense support as well, including [misiles] NASAMS, HAWK, Stingers and Anti-Drone Systems”. “But it will be a while before they can be deployed at the front [los Patriot] they will be indispensable in their people’s struggle,” Biden Zelenski said in their joint appearance before the press, in which both showed great harmony and even had room for jokes, before ruling out that the missile delivery was an “escalation”. . . “It’s a simple act of defense.”
News of the visit was reported by US media late Tuesday afternoon. The official confirmation was awaited. In the early hours of Wednesday, Zelenski, 44, posted the following message on his Twitter account: “[Estoy] en route to the United States to bolster Ukraine’s resistance and defense capabilities. Especially @POTUS [nombre de usuario en la red social del presidente Biden] and I will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the United States. I will also deliver a speech in Congress and a series of bilateral meetings.” With these meetings, the Ukrainian leader was referring to appointments he had agreed with leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties in the Capitol. According to sources from the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, the parliament on Capitol Hill should last about 20 minutes. It was also thought to load references to WWII.
Heading to the US to build 🇺🇦 resilience and defense capability. Particularly, @POTUS and I will discuss the collaboration between 🇺🇦 and 🇺🇸. I will also address the Congress and some bilateral meetings.
— Volodimir Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) December 21, 2022
As evidence that the trip was a coordinated transatlantic effort that was being watered down by the media, the White House simultaneously sent Zelensky’s Twitter announcement a statement signed by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, in which he acknowledged the invitation to Biden’s desire to ” Underscore America’s enduring commitment to Ukraine.” The fact that Zelensky will address both chambers is, for Jean-Pierre, evidence of “strong bipartisan support” that remains “300 days later”. [se cumplían este martes]’ from the start of Russia’s ‘brutal attack’.
So far, Democrats and Republicans have generally spoken out in favor of helping Kyiv: in those nearly 10 months, they’ve approved $65,000 million worth of aid. But lately, this compact bloc has started to break down amid signs of impatience from the conservative camp.
One such signal came from California Republican Kevin McCarthy, who will become the new House Speaker, replacing veteran Nancy Pelosi, who has already announced her retirement from the political front. McCarthy said in an interview with digital Punchbowl News (the very outlet that first broke the news of Zelenski’s visit): “I don’t think in the midst of the looming recession people are ready to give Ukraine a blank check. They just won’t… It’s not a free blank check.” The Republican criticized what he thinks Biden is neglecting the border-Mexico crisis to focus his efforts on curbing Putin’s expansionist drive. “Ukraine is important, but at the same time it can’t be the only thing they do and it can’t be a blank check,” he added.
All in all, in his call with Washington journalists, the senior official wanted to isolate the Ukrainian leader’s risky trip to the United States from an attempt to personally pressure Republicans to vote in Congress for the new budget item. “It’s not about sending a message to a specific political party, it’s about sending a message to Putin and making it clear to the world that the United States will be there for Ukraine for as long as it takes,” he said this source. who detailed that the idea of the high-risk trip came up in a call between Biden and Zelenskyy on Dec. 11, but didn’t materialize until last Sunday. The negotiations were conducted in the utmost secrecy that could not be maintained to the end.
Zelenski addressed Capitol members in a video message last March, in which he conjured up the great collective traumas of the United States, the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers and the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II requesting military aid. The Ukrainian President had already met Biden in person at the White House on September 1, 2021. Since then, the two heads of state have had dozens of phone calls.
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