President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at the U.S. Capitol to hold private talks with Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 21.
After that, Zelensky is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House and speak to U.S. military leaders in the Pentagon, AP wrote.
During Zelensky's White House visit, Biden will reportedly announce a new defense assistance package for Ukraine, which, according to Reuters, would not include the much-desired ATACMS long-range missiles.
Martin Fornusek
Zelensky's second visit to Washington since the start of the full-scale invasion comes as the Republican party faces divisions over the White House's request to Congress for an additional $22 billion in aid to Ukraine.
A hard-right wing of Republicans, led by former president Donald Trump, has increasingly resisted providing Ukraine with more assistance.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy has refused to host a forum for Zelensky to address members of the House on Sept. 21 in a decision that underscores deep disagreements in the Republican ranks, the New York Times reported.
In the meantime, McCarthy is expected to meet the Ukrainian president privately, according to the media outlet.
President Zelensky previously spent two days in New York, where he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and visited wounded Ukrainian soldiers recovering at Staten Island University Hospital.
