Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed five takeaways from his latest meeting with President Joe Biden.
Zelensky met with Biden at the White House on Thursday, marking his second visit to Washington, D.C., since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Biden announced another $325 million in military assistance to Ukraine during the meeting and assured Zelensky that the U.S. would “continue to stand” with his country as the war with Russia continues.
The Ukrainian president is seeking far more aid than he received on Thursday. Biden has requested that Congress approve $24 billion in assistance to Kyiv, on top of the $113 billion in aid that has been sent since the beginning of the war.
Drew Angerer
As his meeting with Biden was ending, Zelensky thanked the U.S. for the smaller aid package while listing off the following five “important results” of his visit:
“Today we have some important results. First, we agreed to work on the future force of Ukraine. It’s very important. This is a strategic decision that will allow us to prevent any aggression against Ukraine …
“Second, we reached a new agreement that will strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Thank you so much, more details will be announced shortly …
“Thirdly, I thank United States of America, Mr. President, for the new defense package for Ukraine. A very powerful package … it has exactly what our soldiers need now …
“Fourthly, the United States will be helping Ukraine with a strengthening of our air defense during this winter season …
“Fifth, we agreed on specific steps to expand exports on grain from Ukraine … Thank you so much, not only for this point, but for all these points.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the White House via email on Thursday night.
Zelensky also met with members of Congress on Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Zelensky said during a meeting with senators that Ukraine would “lose the war” if more aid is not approved.
There appears to be enough bipartisan support for the larger aid package to be approved in the Senate and the House, despite some strong objections from a minority of Republicans.
However, the chances of the package passing soon may be slim due to the current spending standoff among House Republicans and the looming threat of a government shutdown.
Continued U.S. military aid may be more important to the Ukrainian war effort than ever, as Kyiv appears to have lost aid from a key European ally following a bitter dispute concerning the export of grain.
Earlier this week, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw would no longer provide arms to Ukraine, with Polish President Andrzej Duda having compared the country to a “drowning person” that is “capable of pulling you down to the depths.”