Status: 12/21/2022 5:30 p.m
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is expected in Washington in the evening. There he will meet with US President Biden and later address Congress. The Kremlin criticized the trip – and that the US wanted to deliver more weapons.
The visit of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Washington is eagerly awaited. In the evening (Central European time) he is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden before he is expected to give a speech to the US Congress. Both chambers of Congress will soon have to vote on a draft budget that also provides for almost 45 billion US dollars in further financial aid for Ukraine.
Biden wished his counterpart a good flight via Twitter and wrote that there was a lot to discuss. After their meeting, both want to hold a press conference together.
“The importance of the United States for Ukraine should not be underestimated,” said Kerstin Klein of ARD Washington
Tagesschau 3:00 p.m., 21.12.2022
USA: Will not press Zelenskyy to negotiate
Biden is expected to officially announce the delivery of Patriot anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the two presidents were also discussing ways to end the war. “I have no doubt that they will talk about Zelenskyy’s idea of a just peace – what it might look like, what the components of that peace are and how we can help Ukraine achieve it,” Kirby said.
But it is also obvious that Putin is not interested in diplomacy at the moment. “Quite the opposite. He’s interested in killing more Ukrainian civilians and turning off people’s lights and heating as winter approaches.” The US must first ensure that Ukraine gets the defense assistance it needs.
Kremlin: “Nothing good for Ukraine”
The Kremlin criticized Zelenskyj’s trip. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that together with new US arms deliveries, this is leading to a worsening of the situation. This does not bode well for Ukraine.
The federal government welcomed Zelenskyy’s trip and also the delivery of Patriot batteries. “We see this as a very, very positive sign,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin. It is a “hopeful step” that Zelenskyj is now leaving his country for such a visit.
The United States had previously agreed on the delivery of the Patriots with “close allies” such as Germany, Hebestreit said. It is quite possible, but not yet decided, that the Ukrainian soldiers will be trained to use the weapon system in Germany.