Talks with Biden and address to the US Congress: highlights of Zelenskyy's visit to Washington

The White House announced that Biden and Zelenskyy will have the opportunity to “have an in-depth strategic discussion”, in particular about the future on the battlefield in Ukraine. Biden invited Zelenskyy to Washington because he believes the war in Ukraine has entered a “new phase”.

The presidents spoke while sitting in the Oval Office in front of the fireplace before beginning two hours of talks. Zelenskyy presented Biden with a medal from the commander of a HIMARS battery near Bakhmut.

Press conference

After the talks, Presidents of Ukraine and the United States Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden gave a joint press conference. We have collected the key points of their statements:

• The U.S. President emphasized that the United States and its allies had supported Ukraine since the invasion's beginning: “We have provided nearly two thousand tanks, more than 800 artillery systems, more than 50 advanced multiple rocket launching systems, billions of dollars in direct budgetary support.”
• Zelenskyy expressed hope that Congress would pass a $45 billion aid package and that bipartisan support for Ukraine would continue;
• “We clearly understand how our defense capabilities will be strengthened in the next few months. I do not want to discuss it in detail, but I am very grateful for this,” Zelenskyy said;
• “Putin thought he would weaken NATO, instead, he strengthened NATO. He wanted to see Europe end up being divided, instead, he produced a more united Europe,” the US President said;
• Biden noted that now the United States is focusing on air defense, hundreds of artillery systems from dozens of countries, tanks, armored vehicles, as well as 200 thousand rounds of ammunition;
• When asked about the supply of ATACMS, Biden said that the transfer of such weapons could “break up NATO and the European Union”, and that many countries are afraid of being in a state of war with Russia;
• “We give Ukraine what it needs to be able to succeed in the battlefield,” Biden said, when asked why the US does not send “everything at once”.
• “I have spent several hundred hours face to face with European heads of state making the case is why it is in their interest that they continue to support Ukraine. They understand it fully but they are not looking to go to war with Russia. It can all be avoided by making sure that Ukraine is able to succeed in the battlefield,” Biden concluded.

Speech in the US Congress

Later, Zelenskyy addressed the US Congress. Here are the key points from his speech:

• “This battle is not only for territory, not only for life, freedom of Ukrainians or any other nation that Russia is trying to conquer. It is about the world our children and grandchildren will live in. This battle cannot be frozen”;
• “We will not ask the American military to fight for us because our military is perfectly capable of operating American tanks and aircraft.”
• “If your Patriot systems stop Russia's terror against our cities, it will protect our freedom. When Russia fails to capture our cities, they try to destroy them with other attacks. And in this genocidal war, Russia has found an ally in Iran, which is sending hundreds of deadly drones to Russia. This is a threat to our critical infrastructure, so one terrorist has found another.”
• “All Ukrainians want only one thing – victory. We have already built a powerful Ukraine with strong institutions and an army together with you. We will develop powerful security guarantees for us, for Europe, and together with you, we will put in their place all those who deny freedom. This will be the protection of the international legal order”.

Zelenskyy handed over the Ukrainian flag to the congressmen, as he was asked to do by the military from Bakhmut. Instead, the President of Ukraine was presented with the US flag, which flew over the Capitol today in honor of his visit.