US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday met at Oval Office for bilateral talks.
This happened shortly after the arrival of Zelensky at the White House launching a dramatic visit to the US – his first trip outside his homeland since Russia invaded the country 300 days ago– to rally his top international partner behind sustained military and economic assistance.
Zelensky arrived at the South Lawn just after 2 p.m. ET and was met by President Biden, who invited him to the White House earlier this month.
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After the two men shook hands, they were led into the Oval Office by Biden’s wife, Jill in what expected to be lengthy talks about the path forward in Ukraine.
Zelensky thanks Biden
In front of a roaring fire inside the Oval Office and flanked by reporters, Zelenskyy thanked President Biden for the support of the United States, which Biden said now includes a Patriot missile defense system and precision bomb kits.
“Thank you so much. Mr. President. Great honor for me to be here, with your journalists. Thank you so much for the invitation,” Zelenskyy said. “I really wanted to come earlier, Mr. President knows, but I couldn’t do it because the situation was so difficult.”
Zelenskyy thanked Biden for his “big support and leadership,” as well as the “ordinary” American people for standing with Ukraine.
“Thanks from our ordinary people to your ordinary people — Americans — I really appreciate.” Zelenskyy said. “Thank you so much.”
Zelensky, therefore, presented Ukrainian Hero’s award to Biden.
Biden’s response
“Hard to believe 300 days we’ve going through this, and Putin has waged a brutal assault on the Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation and the attack on innocent Ukrainian people for no reason other than to intimidate,” Biden said.
“And he’s escalated his assault on civilians after hitting schools, orphanages, hospitals, landmarks, it’s just — and he’s trying to use winter as a weapon. But the Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world. I mean that sincerely, not just inspire us but inspire the world with their courage and how they have chose resilience and resolve for their future,” Biden said.
Biden said Democrats and Republicans will make sure Ukraine has the economic, humanitarian and security assistance they need to keep fighting and will “support Ukraine in pursuing a just peace.”
“President Zelenskyy, the United States stands with the brave people of Ukraine, we stand with you, you’ve been a great leader,” he said as he turned it over to Zelenskyy to give remarks.
The trip, which US and Ukrainian officials arranged in secret over the past week, came with heavy risks.
After arriving in Poland by train, Zelensky flew to Washington aboard an American military aircraft, US officials said. He arrived in the US shortly after midday, a source familiar with his travels told CNN. A separate source said he landed at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the nation’s capital.
He will hold extended talks with US President Biden, who will announce he is sending nearly $2 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including a sophisticated new air defense system.
The two will convene a White House news conference before Zelensky addresses members of Congress on Capitol Hill in prime time.
The visit by the Ukrainian leader to Washington, expected to last only a matter of hours, amounts to a remarkable moment 10 months since Russia’s war in Ukraine began.
In Virtual address
In a virtual address to U.S. lawmakers back in March, Zelenskyy emotionally pleaded for more aggressive measures to help fight the war.
Invoking key American tragedies, including Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks, Zelenskyy told members at the time, “Just remember it … Our country experiences the same every day right now.”
