Volodymyr Zelensky may be disappointed. US President Joe Biden does not plan to go to Ukraine anytime soon despite his Ukrainian counterpart’s wish to do so, the White House said on Monday.
“It is not planned that the president will go there, allow me to repeat it”, assured the spokesperson for the American executive Jen Psaki. In an interview with CNN broadcast on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky had said he wanted this visit. “I think he will come,” “but the decision is up to him, of course, it depends on the security situation,” he said. “But I think he is the leader of the United States and for that he should come and see.”
An emissary rather than the president?
On the other hand, the American government is considering sending an envoy to kyiv, but the White House has ruled out for the moment a high-risk trip by the president himself, for security reasons. “If someone were to go there, we wouldn’t say it from here,” also said Jen Psaki.
The spokeswoman for the White House also confirmed that the United States hoped to reopen its embassy in kyiv soon, without mentioning any timetable. “That’s definitely our goal. It is obvious that it is important to have a diplomatic presence there,” she explained.