Zelensky Will Meet With Biden in Washington and Deal with Congress, Officers Say

WASHINGTON — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will meet with President Biden on the White Home on Wednesday and later ship a prime-time deal with to a joint session of Congress, a daring journey overseas meant to reaffirm American assist for his nation, White Home officers introduced late Tuesday night time.

“300 days in the past, Russia launched a brutal assault towards Ukraine,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Home press secretary, stated in an announcement confirming Mr. Zelensky’s journey to Washington. “The go to will underscore the USA’ steadfast dedication to supporting Ukraine for so long as it takes, together with by way of the availability of financial, humanitarian and navy help.”

Senior administration officers, who spoke on the situation of anonymity due to issues about Mr. Zelensky’s security, stated the dangers concerned in such a go to — with the wartime chief leaving his nation for the primary time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February — had been excessive, and that planning for his arrival had been carried out underneath intense secrecy.

Mr. Zelensky will arrive in the USA nearly 10 months after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine and as Congress considers approving practically $50 billion in help to assist Ukraine’s forces battle Russia subsequent yr. That may convey the whole quantity of American help to greater than $100 billion.

“He’s a nationwide and international hero — I’m delighted to have the ability to hear from him,” Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, stated Tuesday after listening to of Mr. Zelensky’s go to.

The Ukrainian president’s journey comes as Russia’s assault heads right into a second, brutal yr. Russia’s hopes for a fast defeat of Ukraine failed, however have given solution to a collection of grinding and devastating assaults on civilians which have left main cities with out warmth or electrical energy within the bitter chilly of Ukraine’s winter.

Throughout his assembly with Mr. Biden on the White Home, Mr. Zelensky is about to just accept the newest American pledge of navy help: a extremely subtle Patriot missile battery that senior administration officers stated would offer Ukraine with much better defenses towards air assaults from Russian missiles and drones. The missile battery can be a part of an almost $2 billion package deal of safety help that may even embody different assist for Ukraine’s air defenses.

White Home officers stated the announcement of the brand new safety package deal by the American president — with Mr. Zelensky by his facet — was meant to ship a robust message to Mr. Putin and different world leaders, together with individuals in Ukraine and America, that Mr. Biden wouldn’t waver in his efforts to assist Ukraine defeat its Russian aggressors.

In her assertion Tuesday night time, Ms. Jean-Pierre stated the assembly of the 2 leaders would “underscore the USA’ enduring dedication to Ukraine” and was a part of a unbroken effort by Mr. Biden to rally “the world to assist the individuals of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

A senior administration official stated that Mr. Biden wouldn’t come to the assembly on Wednesday “with a message that’s about pushing or prodding or poking Zelensky in any means” towards discovering a diplomatic finish to the battle with Russia. The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the journey had not been formally introduced, stated Russia had given no indication it was keen to interact in good-faith talks about ending the battle.

However the official additionally stated Mr. Biden wouldn’t enable the USA to be drawn into an lively battle with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, a pledge the president had made earlier than Russian forces entered Ukraine on the finish of February.

After assembly with Mr. Biden and members of his nationwide safety crew, Mr. Zelensky is anticipated to carry a information convention on the White Home, officers stated. He’ll then head to Capitol Hill for what’s prone to be an electrifying look earlier than a joint session of Congress as Democratic management of the Home — and the reign of Consultant Nancy Pelosi of California as speaker — nears its finish.

Whereas Mr. Biden has vowed to proceed his assist “for so long as it takes,” he faces some resistance in Congress, the place Republicans are poised to take management of the Home on Jan. 3. Simply hours earlier than information of Mr. Zelensky’s go to broke, Republican leaders in that chamber had instructed rank-and-file lawmakers to oppose a roughly $1.7 trillion spending invoice that features the Ukraine help.

Some Republicans within the Home have repeatedly opposed earlier packages that despatched billions of {dollars} in navy and humanitarian help to Ukraine, suggesting the cash is wasteful or higher spent in the USA. On Tuesday, Consultant Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a far-right Republican, posted on Twitter scoffing on the launch of the brand new help.

Others indicated late Tuesday that their assist for Ukrainian help can be outweighed by their opposition to the spending measure, which have to be handed by Friday to keep away from a authorities shutdown. Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota, stated voting towards the spending invoice “doesn’t imply we don’t assist Ukraine.”

“Our first obligation is to the individuals we work for, not the individuals he works for,” he stated of Mr. Zelensky.

The spending invoice, together with the funding for Ukraine, is anticipated to clear Congress by the top of the week, although votes for closing passage haven’t but been scheduled.

Mr. Zelensky’s journey to the USA was set in movement 9 days in the past throughout a phone name between the 2 leaders, a senior administration official stated. The White Home formally invited Mr. Zelensky every week in the past, and plans for a speech to Congress started in earnest on Sunday, when the federal government of Ukraine confirmed his intention to journey to the USA.

Within the first days and weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion, a Russian assault meant to make the most of the chief’s absence may need stirred confusion within the Ukrainian navy. However 10 months into the battle, no distinguished navy analyst has lately questioned Ukrainian command and management of the navy.

Nonetheless, Russia’s navy and political management have an arsenal of missiles which might be frequently fired at Ukraine, and a barrage timed for a presidential journey overseas can be inside Russia’s capabilities. Such a salvo may function a distraction for Mr. Zelensky or as a sign to Ukrainians or American officers that Russia has choices to answer deepening U.S.-Ukrainian ties.

Earlier than information of his go to was first reported by Punchbowl Information on Tuesday night, there have been options that an uncommon session of Congress was within the works. Ms. Pelosi had despatched a letter to all Home lawmakers earlier within the day, asking them to attend the Wednesday night time session in individual although they’ve the flexibility to vote remotely.

“We’re ending a really particular session of the 117th Congress with laws that makes progress for the American individuals in addition to assist for our democracy. Please be current for a really particular concentrate on democracy Wednesday night time,” Ms. Pelosi wrote.

Mr. Zelensky himself didn’t affirm his journey to the USA throughout a shock go to to the battered metropolis of Bakhmut on Tuesday. Mr. Zelensky was given a flag by Ukrainian troopers who requested that he current it to Congress. He promised to present it to Mr. Biden, in response to Ukrainian media who joined him on the journey.

Whereas his workplace had no official touch upon any imminent journey, the second was captured on digicam. It was not clear, nevertheless, that Mr. Zelensky was really getting ready to depart the nation for the primary time for the reason that battle started.

Because the information of the potential go to emerged on Tuesday, a number of senators acknowledged it will be preferable for the Senate to move the spending measure — together with the safety help for Ukraine — earlier than Mr. Zelensky speaks to Congress.

“That may symbolize a best-case situation,” stated Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican. The spending invoice handed a procedural hurdle on Tuesday with a powerful 70 to 25 vote.

A number of lawmakers acknowledged that that they had discovered of the potential go to late Tuesday, however most lawmakers and aides appeared shocked by the information. Whereas a number of senior lawmakers, together with Ms. Pelosi and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority chief, have made journeys to Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky has not left for the reason that battle started. He spoke to Congress just about earlier this yr.

“That President Zelensky goes to make his first journey outdoors the nation for the reason that battle started to talk to us, to thank us and to problem us to proceed to assist the Ukrainian individuals, I believe is the proper ending to 2 years the place President Biden has had some landmark successes,” stated Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, who described Mr. Biden’s success rallying NATO and European allies behind Ukraine’s battle as the largest worldwide achievement this yr.

Reporting was contributed by Carl Hulse and Annie Karni from Washington, Andrew E. Kramer from Kyiv, and Marc Santora from Warsaw.