Volodymyr Zelenskyy was greeted on the steps of the White House by his American counterpart Joe Biden on Wednesday for the Ukrainian leader’s first visit outside of its borders since the start of the war.
Wearing a khaki sweater, Mr Zelensky posed for photographers in the winter sunshine alongside Jill and Joe Biden, who hugged him.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet in person before holding a joint press conference.
• Also read: Washington announces that it will supply the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine
“Today’s aid tranche includes, for the first time, the Patriot air defense system capable of shooting down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles and aircraft at significantly higher altitudes than previously deployed defense systems,” Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on the occasion.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Wednesday to further increase his army’s capabilities and nuclear potential, while denying any responsibility for the “general tragedy” in Ukraine.
At a large meeting with high-ranking officers, he announced the entry into service of the new Russian hypersonic cruise missile “Zircon” for “early January” and considered increasing the number of the Russian army to 1.5 million soldiers.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, meanwhile, assured that Russian troops were fighting “the combined forces of the West” and announced that Moscow intends to set up bases to support its fleet in Mariupol and Berdyansk, two occupied cities in southern Ukraine.
Mr. Zelensky’s visit to the United States shows Washington will support Ukraine “for as long as necessary,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for the US executive branch.
In Moscow, the Kremlin warned on Wednesday that new US arms sales to Ukraine would only “exacerbate” the conflict. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also said he does not expect a change in Mr Zelenskyi’s position on his refusal to negotiate with Vladimir Putin.
In a tweet Wednesday morning, the President of Ukraine stated that he would travel to the United States to bolster Ukraine’s resilience and defense capabilities.
On September 1, 2021, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was received in the White House by Joe Biden, who then promised to support him against Russia.
Wednesday, the same two men, same place, but a completely different historical setting: It’s their first face-to-face meeting since the Russian attack on Ukraine, turning the Ukrainian president into a world-renowned warlord and Joe Biden commander-in-chief of the western camp against Russia.
During this trip, which will last only “a few hours” with exceptional security restrictions, Mr Zelensky will first have a meeting with his American counterpart and his teams at the White House before a press conference, a senior US executive has said.
According to this source, who asked not to be identified, the American executive will unveil a new component of aid to Ukraine for the occasion, including notably the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, a flagship of American military technology.
American lawmakers are also preparing to vote on a new massive nearly $45 billion aid package for Ukraine.
During a trip to the hottest point of the front on Tuesday, in Bachmout (east), the Ukrainian president had already lifted the veil, so to speak. Receiving a flag from fighters, he said: “We will give it to the American Congress, to the American President. We are grateful for their support, but it’s not enough.”
The United States, by far the largest donor to Kyiv, has already pledged nearly $50 billion in aid to the country at war, including $20 billion for armaments and military aid, experts estimate.
While providing an update to around 15,000 military officials via video conference on Wednesday, Russia’s defense minister assured that one of the “priorities” for 2023 will be “to continue the special operation[in Ukraine]. until all their duties are accomplished”.
The armed forces and their combat capabilities “are constantly and daily growing. And of course we will develop this process, ”said Vladimir Putin during this meeting.
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Fighting on the ground continued on Wednesday, with the Ukrainian general staff reporting Russian attacks in the east and north-east, including shelling. At least five people have been killed and 17 injured in the country in the past 24 hours, according to the presidency.
For its part, the Russian army claimed to have captured “new heights and dominant lines” near Donetsk, the stronghold of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
After a series of backlashes by the Russian military in northeastern and southern Ukraine, most of the fighting is concentrated in the east.
Russia has been massively bombing Ukraine’s infrastructure since October, causing power and water cuts.
The delivery of Patriot systems is designed to respond to these attacks.