Washington Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington. This was confirmed by the White House on Wednesday, previously several media had reported about it.
Selenski should not be in the USA for more than 24 hours. But the trip to the US capital Washington, which was scheduled for Wednesday at short notice, is a signal of strength from the US government’s point of view. “This is about sending a message to Vladimir Putin and to the whole world,” a senior White House official said Tuesday night. “America will be there for Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Zelenski’s visit comes at a critical stage in the aggressive war. Russia is bombing civilians and power grids in Ukraine, millions face a winter of cold and darkness. After the war began on February 24, Zelensky did not leave his country, it is his first trip abroad since the Russian invasion.
For appearances on the political world stage – for example at the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria – Selenski was always connected digitally.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
According to the White House, the Ukrainian president is due to land in Washington on Wednesday afternoon local time. The police at the US Capitol have already increased security. Selenski will sit down with US President Joe Biden for an “in-depth strategic discussion” and exchange information with the National Security Council, it said. A joint press conference with Biden is also planned.
On Wednesday evening, Selenski is scheduled to give a speech to the assembled US Congress. Washington and Kyiv had agreed on “reasonable security precautions” in advance, the government official said. Biden issued his invitation in early December.
USA send Patriot systems – training takes place in Germany
Biden will announce an additional $1.8 billion in security aid to Ukraine during the expected visit, it said.
He also wants to make an innovation that has been speculated about for several weeks official: the US government wants to deliver the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine for the first time, the government official confirmed. The Patriot air defense system can repel aircraft, cruise missiles, drones or missiles even at a greater distance. It would complicate Russia’s missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
According to experts, access to Patriots (“Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target”) would be a great advantage for Ukraine. With the systems, the infrastructure and population can be protected much better, while the freedom of movement of the Ukrainian armed forces on the ground increases.
With better western weapons, it is hoped, Ukraine would become more and more a “no-fly zone” for Russian aircraft. The US government is already delivering Himars multiple rocket launchers and the Nasams air defense system to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President has not left his country since the war began.
(Photo: dpa)
However, training on Patriot systems takes months, partly because several soldiers have to be involved in an operation at the same time. The US would begin deliveries “immediately,” the US government official said.
Ukrainian soldiers are to be trained at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany. Just last week, the US military announced that it would expand war training in Germany for Ukrainian soldiers.
The timing of Zelenski’s visit to Washington may also have been strategic. Because the US government wants to increase its support for Ukraine – as long as this is still possible. The current US Congress is only a few days away.
On January 3, the new Congress, which was decided by the midterm elections in November, will meet. The House of Representatives, one of two chambers of Congress, will be Republican-dominated in the future. This makes it impossible for Biden and his Democrats to pass legislation independently.
Military aid is in question
The US has provided Ukraine with billions in military aid since the beginning of the war. But the future of the aid is in question. In the House of Representatives, far-right Republicans could try to undermine aid to Ukraine in the new year. The urgently pending money tranches have not yet been decided either.
On Tuesday, Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress agreed on a budget with a volume of 1.7 trillion US dollars (1.6 trillion euros). Among other things, it provides for 44.9 billion US dollars (42.3 billion euros) in aid for Ukraine. However, the Senate and the House of Representatives still have to vote on the draft.
>> Read also: “We support non-partisan” – USA wants to continue helping Ukraine with billionsn
During the budget wrangling, the split among Republicans over Ukraine became clear. There are many moderate Republicans who are sticking with the aid, including the most powerful Republican Senator, Mitch McConnell, and Republican Chief Senator for Foreign Affairs, Jim Risch.
But in the power game on Capitol Hill, aid to Ukraine becomes a bargaining chip. Meanwhile, MP Kevin McCarthy spoke out against the budget package. McCarthy wants to become the new speaker of the House of Representatives in January and replace the previous speaker Nancy Pelosi. To do that, he needs the votes of almost every Republican in the chamber. Some of them, like far-right MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, want to dry up Ukraine’s billions.
If the Ukraine aid is still decided, it will be very lavish. The $44.9 billion exceeds the amount Biden recently asked Congress for. Among other things, the funds are intended to support the Ukrainian military and intelligence services. Parts are earmarked for contingency plans in the event of a nuclear attack on Ukraine, along with humanitarian aid.
Defense companies are swimming in orders
Overall, military spending in the US is heading for a new record because of the Ukraine war. According to the New York Times, they will rise next year to their highest level since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is associated with a heyday for military suppliers: the newspaper calculated that leading American armaments companies sold six times as many weapons as usual last year.
Zelensky’s visit could benefit both the United States and Ukraine. Time is of the essence on both sides of the Atlantic: Ukrainian military officials warned this week of further major conquests by the Russian army, perhaps even in the direction of Kyiv. Russia could also attack from the north via Belarus, fears in Ukraine.
The Biden government, in turn, has an interest in keeping the attention on Ukraine high in order to secure popular support.
Crisis management also becomes more difficult at the diplomatic level the longer the war lasts. Since taking office, the US President has made efforts to strengthen NATO and the transatlantic alliance. This strategy paid off, so far the western alliance has stood united on Kiev’s side. But inflation and fears of recession, both in the US and in the EU, are overshadowing solidarity with Ukraine. In Europe there is also the energy crisis.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly emphasized that he will only negotiate a peace solution with Putin if he completely withdraws his troops. His visit to Washington now seems to be a signal that Kyiv considers US support indispensable. The Ukrainian president has already traveled to the combat zone several times – in contrast to Vladimir Putin, who has not been to the front once.
In his video speech on Tuesday, Zelenski said a sentence that, in retrospect, can be understood as a reference to his meeting with Biden: This week is extremely important for Ukraine “to get through this winter and next year”.
More: Economist Subarevich: “We underestimated the resilience of the Russian private sector”