September 22nd 2023.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska to the White House on Thursday. During their meeting, Biden addressed reports that Russia is relocating thousands of Ukrainian children within its own borders, telling Zelensky that "what they’ve done to your children is criminal". He added that Russia "could end this today".
The US President also announced that he would be granting an additional $325million in aid to Ukraine. This new package is the 47th tranche of equipment from the Pentagon’s inventories to be given to Ukraine since August 2021, and will help to fund air defense capabilities, anti-tank weapons, cluster munitions and other equipment to fight off Russian aggression. Biden said that the aid package will "protect Ukraine, Ukraine’s grain silos, hospitals, schools and power plants" and that it "will help save Ukrainian lives".
Zelensky spent the day lobbying in the White House and Capitol. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy did not invite Zelensky to do a joint address to Congress, saying "we just didn’t have time". Biden, however, reiterated that the US will stand with Ukraine, telling a reporter that, "I’m counting on the good judgment of the United States Congress. There’s no alternative".
At the National Archive on Thursday evening, Zelensky thanked Americans for their aid and support, highlighting the common values of democracy that they share. He said, "There is not a soul in Ukraine that does not feel gratitude to you, America. To you, the people who help us not because you have to, but because your heart cannot let you do otherwise."
Biden and Zelensky's meeting on Thursday was a powerful reminder of the unwavering support between Ukraine and the United States, which will continue to be strengthened in the coming months.
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