The first day of winter was the 300th day of war. The time had come to leave the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled from the front lines of the war to Washington, D.C. by train and then by plane. The war entered a dangerous phase as Zelenskyy visited. Zelenskyy was invited to speak to a joint session of Congress by the White House. The trip was planned before the Republicans took control of the House. Senior officials said that it was important to show solidarity to a wary Europe to keep pushing the continent to support Ukraine as Russia attacks civilians. Biden said that Russia is using winter as a weapon. The Russian forces are committing atrocities against innocent Ukrainian civilians. The Ukrainian military has been able to repel Putin. The major fighting has been confined to the outer reaches of Ukraine and has been dealt humiliation. A new wave of Russian attacks on the electrical grid has left millions of people without heat or light.
Zelenskyy made the trip to Washington to thank Biden but also made clear that the fight was not over. He spoke about the suffering of ordinary Ukrainians and talked about the parents who have lost their children to Russian bombs. He will once again advocate for more when the current portion ends.
Zelenskyy said through a translator that it was only when the war was in your country that you understood it.
Zelenskyy said that a "just peace" is no compromise as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of his country. How many parents have lost their sons and daughters in the line of duty? What is the purpose of peace for them?
The issue of a peace process has been difficult for US officials. Domestic support for the war cannot continue indefinitely without tangible steps to end the conflict diplomatically. There is acknowledgment that Ukraine is doing better than anticipated. Any deal will be decided by the Ukrainians.
For the past several weeks, U.S. senior officials have discussed with European and Ukrainian counterparts a 10-point proposal Zelenskyy had outlined. Is it possible for such a proposal to be broached this winter? A potential halt in hostilities has been discussed with Ukrainians.
There is no indication that Russia is serious about the proposal, which requires all Russian troops to leave Ukraine. Zelenskky paid the least amount of lip service to his visit to D.C.
Zelenskky is an unlikely hero of democracy because he stood in the war zone and rallied his people with his speeches and videos.
He and Biden shared an easy chemistry as they walked through the White House dressed for the holidays. Zelenskyy wore military fatigues while Biden wore a tie that was blue and yellow.
Zelenskyy has been frustrated by the Biden administration with his constant requests for more weapons. The United States has refused to give such arms to Kyiv because they fear they could be used to expand the conflict.
Zelenskyy admitted that he would like to get more Patriot missiles. He apologized to the assembled crowd as they laughed.
He mused about the United States' arsenal in his address to Congress. He spoke to some legislators who were skeptical of the aid who sat just feet in front of him. It's not really
Zelenskyy said that lawmakers had already provided them with financial packages. The investment in global security and democracy is handled in a responsible way.
The Ukrainian president said he wanted to meet with Biden earlier, but security concerns in the U.S. made that impossible. Officials in both countries thought it was too risky for Zelenskyy to go to Washington. The Ukrainian president was reluctant to leave the country because he was afraid that Russia would use his absence to attack him.
Ahead of the GOP takeover of the House and Russia's increased attacks on civilian infrastructure, the U.S. officials zeroed in on a late December visit. The visit to Zelenskyy was agreed on four days ago.
The White House wanted to keep the trip secret until Zelenskyy started his dangerous journey. After news of Zelenskyy's address to Congress leaked, there was anger. There was only a brief consideration of cutting the trip in half.
The Ukrainian president traveled to Washington at a time when Congress was about to pass another $45 billion in aid to the country, which would bring the total amount of emergency aid authorized by the US to more than $100 billion. The bill was supposed to clear before Zelenskyy spoke to congress. Now is the time for passage.
Kevin McCarthy, likely to be the next House Speaker when the new Congress is sworn in next month, has pledged that Ukraine would no longer receive a "blank check" from Washington. Zelenskyy said he was confident that the aid to Ukraine would not be cut off. The administration concedes that it will probably slow.
How the war will end is one of the biggest questions facing leaders. Biden said that both presidents were eager for peace but that the decision to open negotiations to end the war was Zelenskyy's. Their meeting comes at a time when Europeans are worried about the length of a war on a continent that is on the edge of the recession and facing a growing energy crisis.
The officials said that Biden's show of solidarity was meant to reassured Europe about the American commitment to the cause and that the president had no concerns about Western allies staying the course.
Biden said he wasn't worried about the alliance being held together.
The Kremlin is not giving up on its effort to conquer Ukraine. Putin visited Belarus this week in what was seen as a bid for reinforcements and continued to warn of the danger of unleashing his nation's nuclear arsenal.
Zelenskyy said that negotiations wouldn't start unless Russian forces left all of Ukraine, something Moscow has said it won't consider.
I don't know what message to send him after he destroyed our life. Zelenskyy made a statement. He should be interested in saving his country's history. That's his issue now.
This report was contributed to by a person.
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