Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he will meet with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday in Washington.
His journey abroad marks his first since Russia’s invasion in February.
The White House confirmed the visit and said it would give Ukraine a Patriot missile battery, greatly enhancing its air defense capabilities.
Additionally, Mr. Zelensky will meet with various people and address Congress.
He posted on Twitter, “On my way to the US to boost Ukraine’s resilience and defence capabilities.”
Mr. Zelensky has visited troops around Ukraine and frequently receives foreign officials in the country’s capital, Kyiv.
The president of Ukraine has frequently communicated with foreign leaders via phone and video calls, frequently from his office in Kyiv.
The unexpected visit, however, is a first since the war started and highlighted the significance of Ukraine’s relationship with the US, which has been instrumental in providing military support.
The White House announced a fresh package of approximately $2 billion (£1.6 billion) in security aid for Ukraine during its briefing before Mr. Zelensky’s visit.
Among them is a brand-new Patriot missile defense system, which will aid Ukraine in defending its infrastructure from Russian assaults. Ukrainian officials have long pleaded with the West for more potent air defense systems.
Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s energy industry, leaving millions in the dark throughout the winter when it is well below freezing.
According to the White House, it will “take some time” to teach Ukrainian forces how to deploy the Patriot system in a “third country.”
A US bill that would provide Ukraine an additional $40 billion (£33 billion) in financing by 2023 is now being work on.
Since the conflict’s inception, the US has contributed significantly more than any other nation in total expenditures for direct military support.
According to President Zelensky, Ukraine’s monthly defense spending is around $5 billion (£4.1 billion).
His travel to Washington comes a day after he paid a surprise visit to Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been engage in a months-long war.
According to the president, he met with troops and presented honors to them.
The visit was a remarkable act of disobedience and a display of support for Ukrainian forces engaged in some of the most intense engagements in recent weeks.
In a filmed moment, soldiers handed Mr. Zelensky a Ukrainian flag with their names written on it and asked him to present it to President Biden and the US Congress.
On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented medals to figures participating in the Russian invasion inside the Kremlin.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the US military estimates that at least 100,000 Russian and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 40,000 civilians have been kill or injured.
The UN has said 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees across Europe, including Russia. The statistic excludes people who were force to evacuate their homes but remain in Ukraine.
