CNN
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president Joe Biden and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky He is scheduled to meet at the White House on Wednesday during a visit to Washington that is tentatively scheduled to include a speech to a joint session of Congress, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
Zelensky is already heading to Washington for a visit to mark his first trip outside Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February this year, two separate sources said.
The visit to the White House has not been finalized and is being held under strict scrutiny due to security concerns, but it will include meetings with Biden and administration officials, and the administration’s intent to send new defense aid to the country The package that is going to match the . Biden will announce an additional $1.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine during his scheduled visit. patriot missile system Inside the package, a US official told CNN.
The new announcement adds to the nearly $20 billion in security assistance the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since the Russian aggression began, while at the same time U.S. lawmakers have pledged to provide the country with an additional $45 billion in emergency assistance. government spending measures are being considered. .
The White House declined to comment on potential visits, Biden’s announcements, or announcements of new security assistance.
Lawmakers also plan for Zelensky to visit the Capitol on Wednesday night to speak, but the visit has not been confirmed as officials prepare for security, sources said. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi He did not confirm reports that Zelenskiy would be at the Capitol on Wednesday, saying, “I don’t know if that will happen.”
“We don’t know yet. We just don’t know,” she said.
When CNN asked him if he had invited her, she said: Until we find out if he can come. ”
The Ukrainian leader’s visit to Washington will mark a pivotal moment in the 10 months since Russia’s war in Ukraine began. Zelensky has emerged as the international personification of Ukraine’s resistance to aggression and has spent most of the year seeking help from other countries.
He made these appeals virtually, appearing at international summits and world parliaments to advocate for more weapons and money. Reflecting both the precarious security situation he would face outside Ukraine, he remained inside during the civil war.
When the war began, Zelensky remained besieged in the capital, Kyiv, and often addressed the nation from behind closed doors. Most recently, he visited several of the war fronts, including on Tuesday when he visited the front-line city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Ukrainian and Russian forces have been fighting brutally for months.
According to his office, Zelensky met with the soldiers and presented them with the awards. A video posted by state television showed the president in military uniform and a bulletproof vest handing out awards to the military. Bakhmut has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the country since Russian forces laid siege to Bakhmut in May, leaving the city in ruins.
Pelosi has been urging members to attend the Capitol on Wednesday due to concerns that the meeting room will be empty before the holiday recess, one member said. Pelosi asked members to attend Wednesday night “to give a very particular focus on democracy.”
Expectations from members are for Zelensky to address parliament on Wednesday, according to some sources. But sources warn that this may not yet be final due to security concerns.
Ukraine sends advanced long-range air defense systems highly effective at intercepting ballistic and cruise missiles as it comes under barrage of Russian missile and drone attacks that have destroyed critical infrastructure across the country. We are asking the United States to do so.
The Patriot missile battery is the most effective long-range defense weapon system sent to the country, and officials say it will help secure the airspace of NATO nations in Eastern Europe. CNN first reported last week that the US was planning to send the Patriot system to Ukraine;
It’s not clear how many missile launchers will be shipped, but a typical Patriot battery would include a radar set to detect and track targets, a computer, a power generator, an engagement control station, and four missile launchers each ready to fire. Includes up to 8 launchers that hold missiles.
Once plans are finalized, the Patriots are expected to ship quickly in the coming days, and Ukrainians will be trained to use them at the U.S. military base in Grafenwehr, Germany, officials said. .
Ukraine has been asking for the system for months, but the logistical challenges of delivering and operating it are immense. Despite these obstacles, “the reality of what’s happening on the ground” has led the administration to the decision, a senior administration official told CNN, citing an ongoing Russian missile barrage.
Unlike smaller air defense systems, Patriot missile batteries require a larger crew, dozens of personnel to properly operate them. Training a Patriot missile battery normally takes months, but the US is now conducting the process under pressure from almost daily airstrikes from Russia.
This system is widely considered one of the most effective long-range weapons for defending airspace against incoming ballistic and cruise missiles and some aircraft. Its long-range and high-altitude capabilities could potentially bring down Russian missiles and aircraft far from their intended targets inside Ukraine.
This story has been updated with additional reports.