Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly set to visit Washington on Wednesday amid Russia’s unprecedented war in Ukraine.
What Happened: Marking his first known trip outside the country since Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine in February, Zelenskyy would address the Congress on Capitol Hill and meet his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, reported Reuters.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi also urged lawmakers in a letter to be physically present at Capitol Hill for “a very special focus on Democracy Wednesday night.”
“We are ending a very special session of the 117th Congress with legislation that makes progress for the American people as well as support for our Democracy,” Pelosi wrote.
The U.S. is expected to announce a $1.8 billion package of military assistance for Kyiv, officials said on condition of anonymity. The billion-dollar package would include aid and Patriot missiles.
Ukraine has not confirmed the visit yet. CNN sources, however, said the Ukrainian president was already on his way to Washington.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy last addressed Congress in March, shortly after Putin’s invasion. Speaking to lawmakers by video conferencing from Ukraine, the president had then implored the U.S. lawmakers for immediate assistance and invoked parallels to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor.
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