The White House and Capitol Hill can expect a visit from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky next week as the latest aid package worth upwards of $24 billion is debated in Congress.
Zelensky will be in Washington, DC, as a side visit during the United Nations General Assembly. He arrives on the back of a poll that found a majority of Americans oppose sending more aid to Ukraine.
AP reports an administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the visit, said Zelensky will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House next Thursday.
The trip to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides granted anonymity to discuss the plans, the report sets out.
Congress is split over providing the additional funding for Ukraine as the Russian invasion rolls into its second year with no sign of peace talks being heralded by either side.
House conservatives objected to President Joe Biden’s latest Ukraine aid proposal, contending that it would only continue America’s proxy war against Russia. https://t.co/KwkZX4DuPW
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 12, 2023
Biden has sought a package of $13.1 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. It also includes $2.3 billion for financing and to catalyze donors through the World Bank, AP notes.
Zelensky was last in D.C. less than 12 months ago on a trip that included a 20-minute address to a special joint session of Congress.
On that occasion Biden emptied his schedule to welcome the visitor at the White House, as Breitbart News reported.
Watch: Biden Reads Off Answers to Pre-Determined Media Questions with Ukraine President Zelensky
The White House / YouTube
The president has taken pride in his unfailing support for Ukraine after Russia invaded, rallying American allies to their cause.
“The idea that Putin is ever going to defeat Ukraine is beyond comprehension,” Biden said earlier last December after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the ongoing conflict.
Congress is working to pass its annual appropriations bills before a Sept. 30 deadline to keep the U.S. government running.