Zelensky is in Washington, his first trip abroad since the war began. From Biden yes to sending the Patriots

Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the United States , landed at the military base of Joint base Andrew, not far from Washington, where he is expected to speak at the American Congress during the Italian night .

The Ukrainian president traveled by train from Ukraine to Poland, boarded a plane there, boarded at Rzesow airport. The aircraft with Zelensky on board was escorted to Washington by a US military plane, it was the first trip abroad since the beginning of the war .

The US worked closely with Kiev to ensure maximum security for the president during his visit: «Volodymyr, I hope your flight is going well. I am happy to have you here. Lots to discuss,” Biden tweeted while his Ukrainian counterpart was on the road.

For the occasion, Ukrainian flags alongside American ones were hoisted in several iconic places in Washington: along the avenues facing Capitol Hill and, of course, on Pennsylvania Avenue, the main artery connecting the White House and the Capitol.

Then the meeting with Biden in the White House : "The US wants a just peace for Ukraine", declared the American president in the first minutes of the summit with Zelensky after welcoming him with an affectionate hug , accompanied by his wife Jill on his arrival at the White House. The two leaders had last seen each other in the Oval Office in September 2021, when the invasion of Russia was only a threat.

Biden therefore announced a new package of weapons worth almost two billion dollars, including the Patriots. However, there will not be the coveted Atacms, the long-range super rockets capable of hitting up to 300 kilometers , therefore potentially also in Russian territory, but advanced systems capable of curbing Moscow's constant attacks on the country's strategic infrastructures.

US assistance is not limited to weapons. The $1.7 trillion federal budget to be approved by Congress by Friday also includes $45 billion in aid to Ukraine , exceeding Biden's $37 billion request. So far, in military, economic and humanitarian aid, the US has already provided Kiev with around 68 billion dollars in funding.

The meeting, underlines Kiev, demonstrates how "unfounded" the rumors of a cooling of relations between the US and Ukraine .

(Unioneonline/LD)