Sitting alongside Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Biden pledged to support Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion and pursue a “just peace”.
“We’re going to continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, particularly air defence, and that’s why we’re going to be providing Ukraine with Patriot missile battery,” Biden said.
In brief remarks, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the US government and public. “Thank you first of all,” he told the US president. “It’s a great honour to be here.”
The US Department of State announced the military assistance on Wednesday, hours before Zelenskyy arrived at the White House.
The White House had said earlier that Zelenskyy’s visit will highlight Washington’s commitment to support Kyiv for “as long as it takes, including through the provision of economic, humanitarian, and military assistance”.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy was dressed in his usual military garb as he was greeted by the US president and First Lady Jill Biden at the South Lawn of the White House. The two leaders did not take questions from reporters before heading to their talks, but they are expected to hold a joint news conference later in the day.
Reporting from the White House, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said Zelenskyy was making a clear point that he is “the leader of the armed forces of Ukraine, which is fighting for its survival”.
“He’s here to remind them that in many ways he is at the forefront of the fight for democracy in Eastern Europe,” Fischer said.
Fischer added that Zelenskyy also is hoping to say thank you to the Biden administration and to US lawmakers for providing aid to Ukraine.
“He wants to say thank you, but he also wants to remind them that he is involved in this fight and he needs their support,” Fischer said.
“What he doesn’t want to do is fight the Russians on the battlefield, and have to fight with his biggest ally and his biggest supporter to give him the tools that they need, as far as he’s concerned, to win a war that he believes is still very much winnable.”
Zelenskyy said in a post on his official Instagram account after he landed that he is in Washington, DC to “thank the American people, the President and the Congress for their much-needed support”. He added that the visit would “strengthen resilience and defence capabilities” of Ukraine.
The US Congress has overwhelmingly approved tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February.
In turn, the Biden administration has been dispensing the aid authorised by lawmakers through periodic assistance packages.
Wednesday’s US aid announcement to Ukraine is one of the largest so far. It brings the total of American assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Biden administration to $21.9bn, according to the Department of State.
“Today’s assistance for the first time includes the Patriot Air Defense System, capable of bringing down cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and aircraft at a significantly higher ceiling than previously provided air defense systems,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The Pentagon said the package also includes ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), precision-guided artillery rounds and high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMs) amongst other equipment.
Russia launched the invasion of its neighbour in February after a months-long standoff that saw Russian President Vladimir Putin demand an end to NATO expansion into former Soviet republics.
As President Zelenskyy meets with @POTUS, the DOD is committing $1.85B in additional security assistance for Ukraine. This package supports immediate and long-term security assistance needs, demonstrating our firm commitment to Ukrainian independence. https://t.co/UhdiiiWhoF
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) December 21, 2022
But Moscow’s military campaign has been mired by setbacks. In recent months, Ukrainian forces – backed by US weaponry – recaptured large swaths of territory in a counteroffensive in the east of the country.
Moscow, which has been bombing Ukrainian infrastructure for weeks, has said that Western arms supplies to Kyiv would only exacerbate the conflict. The Kremlin recently warned the US against sending Patriot air defence batteries to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday evening, where he is expected to call for more assistance for his country and sanctions against Russia. It is his first known trip outside the country since the Russian invasion in February.
“It’s always a high honour to welcome a foreign head of state to Congress, but it’s nearly unheard of to hear from a leader who is fighting for his life, fighting for his country’s survival, and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the Ukrainian president’s arrival.
“It shows the importance President Zelenskyy places on us continuing to give him robust help.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the US Senate confirmed veteran diplomat Lynne Tracy as the country’s new ambassador to Russia.
Tracy, who previously served as ambassador to Armenia, “will be tasked with standing up to Putin,” Schumer said.