Zelenskyy confirms that he wanted to visit US earlier and thanks Biden for leadership
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that his visit to the United States shows that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are in control on the battlefield, and noted the role of American aid in this.
Source: European Pravda citing Zelenskyy’s words to Biden ahead of the talks in the White House.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "It is a great honour for me to be here. I thank you for the invitation. In truth, I wanted to visit [earlier], and president [Biden] knew about it, but I was not able to, because the situation was difficult. Now, my arrival here means that we have the situation under control, and that is primarily thanks to your support," he said.
Zelenskyy said that he would discuss "important topics" with Biden, in particular the situation in the energy sector and on the battlefield in Ukraine.
"First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of all Ukrainians, on behalf of our strong nation, to you, Mr. President, for your great support and leadership. Europe and many countries have helped and continue helping us, because the war is not over yet. It is a pain. But the leadership is yours, and I thank you, Mr. President. Thank you to Congress for bipartisan support and our civilians are thanking your civilians, the Americans," he emphasised.
Zelenskyy arrived at the White House, where he was met by the U.S. President Joe Biden. After bilateral talks, he is expected to hold a joint press conference with Biden and to address the United States Congress.
Earlier, on the morning of 21 December, the Office of the President of Ukraine officially confirmed Zelenskyy’s visit to the United States.
On Wednesday, Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, officially announced a new military aid package for Ukraine (US$1.85 billion), which includes the supply of a Patriot air defence system for the first time ever.
Thus, the total US military aid for Ukraine has reached $21.9 billion since the Biden administration took office.
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