After landing in the United States on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Joe Biden at the White House.
Zelensky, wearing green colored cargo pants and sweatshirt rather than a suit, was driven to the White House where Biden, joined by his wife Jill, met him. Biden then escorted him past doors where guards held the US and Ukrainian flags.
This is Zelensky’s first trip outside his homeland since it was invaded 300 days ago by Russia. Zelensky’s meeting with Biden at the White House comes ahead of his address before a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday night at the US Capitol.
During their meeting, Joe Biden said, “Hard to believe, 300 days going through this brutal war. Putin has waged a brutal assault on the Ukrainians’ right to exist as a nation, and the attack on innocent Ukrainian people for no reason other than to intimidate.”
“I thank the US Congress for their support. Thank you so much, Mr President. Of course, thanks to bipartisan support, thanks to Congress, and thanks from our ordinary people to your ordinary people, Americans,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as reported by Reuters.
Zelensky’s visit comes as Biden and Congress reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine by sending billions in humanitarian and military aid to the war-ravaged country.