Ukrainian President Zelensky’s Visit to the White House and Congress: Consolidating U.S. Support and Securing Aid for Ukraine

2023-09-16 16:14:44
2023-09-17 00:14 Compiled by Gao Yuxuan/Comprehensive Report from United Daily News The White House confirmed on the 15th that Ukrainian President Zelensky (left) will visit the United States and is scheduled to meet with US President Biden. The picture shows two people and five…

The White House announced on the 15th that Ukrainian President Zelensky will meet with US President Biden in Washington on the 21st and will also go to Capitol Hill to hold talks with members of Congress. This trip will be his second visit to the White House and Congress since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, following last December. At that time, members of Congress from both parties in the United States had different positions on aid to Ukraine. Agence France-Presse reported on the same day that the United States was Kyiv’s key supporter. Zelensky’s aim this time was to consolidate U.S. support and win approval from Republicans for the aid plan to Ukraine.

Zelensky will first attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York and meet with other participating leaders before moving to Washington. White House National Security Advisor Sullivan said that Zelensky’s visit comes at a critical moment as Russia is seeking support from North Korea and other countries for its brutal war, and the Ukrainian army’s counterattack continues to progress. Sullivan also said that Biden looks forward to hearing Zelensky’s relevant views and will also reiterate his commitment to leading the international community in supporting Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. Zelensky is also expected to ask the United States to provide an Army tactical missile system with a range of 300 kilometers.

CNN and Agence France-Presse reported on the 15th that the U.S. Congress is considering the White House’s request for a new wave of aid to Ukraine, but given the serious differences among Republicans, it is still uncertain whether it can be passed. The U.S. Congress has a deadline of 30 days to pass a new wave of major funding for Ukraine’s aid program. Sullivan revealed on the 15th that he had met with the leaders of both houses of Congress to discuss the matter. He feels they all support it, but some Republican congressmen have signaled possible boycott.

Republicans have different positions on aiding Ukraine. For example, Senate Minority Leader McConnell supports it, but former President Trump, who is far ahead in the presidential primaries, believes that the money (US dollars) will not go to outsiders, and predicts that Russia will win.

In a recent interview with the British Economist, Zelensky admitted that he was worried that some supporters in the Western world were losing confidence. However, he argued that reducing aid to Ukraine would only prolong the war and create risks in the Western backyard. He also expected that if Biden is successfully re-elected, he will continue the current approach. But even if Trump is elected, he will not comply with Putin’s wishes. Trump “will never” support Putin.

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