He had not left his country since the invasion by Russia on February 24. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday that he was on his way to the United States as war continues to rage in Ukraine. On the 292nd day of the war, Russia is retreating again, particularly in the regions annexed through a controversial referendum, organized in September. Disappointments that could be accentuated with the delivery of advanced anti-missile systems by Washington.
- A state visit, against a background of support for armaments
In a tweet posted this Wednesday, December 21, the Ukrainian President confirmed that he was “on his way to the United States to strengthen the resilience and defense capabilities” of Ukraine, that he will meet with the American President and will a speech to Congress. According to the American executive, this express trip “a few short hours” at most, is proof that the support of the United States is not weakening, as some may have thought a few weeks ago, when Congress American will partially switch to the opposition in January.
This visit under high security underlines that the United States will support Ukraine “as long as it takes”, declared Karine Jean-Pierre, spokesperson for the American executive, in a press release formalizing the event. Zelensky will record the receipt of 2 billion new dollars in aid, including a Patriot anti-aircraft system, “a new significant step in the support given to Ukraine”, according to Marc Chassillan, military engineer and specialist defense consultant interviewed in our columns.
- Vote on a new Congressional aid package
In parallel with this visit, the American parliamentarians are preparing to vote a new massive package of support for Ukraine of nearly 45 billion dollars. Some 50 billion, including 20 billion in arms and military assistance, have already been spent by the Americans in the war in Ukraine. For its part, this Tuesday, France announced a new delivery of weapons, and its wish to continue this support in 2023.
- Moscow meets on upcoming strategy
The Kremlin has estimated that further US arms deliveries to Ukraine will only “aggravate” the conflict with Russia. “[Cela] does not bode well for Ukraine,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He also said he did not expect Zelensky to change his stance on his refusal to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. after this visit.
During this time, the latter gathers his troops. After admitting Tuesday an “extremely difficult” situation in the four regions of Ukraine which Moscow claims the annexation, the Russian president for his part hosts a large meeting of Russian army officials. 15,000 people are expected. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will notably report on “the progress of the special military operation” in Ukraine.
After a series of Russian military setbacks in northeastern and southern Ukraine, most of the fighting is currently concentrated in the east of the country, with the city of Bakhmout as the epicenter. Russia has opted from October for massive bombardments on Ukrainian infrastructure, particularly in kyiv. These shots cause power and water cuts. Ukraine now fears military assistance from Belarus. Vladimir Putin traveled to Belarus on Monday for talks with his counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko.
- German president calls on Xi Jinping to ‘use his influence’ on Putin
German Head of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier invited Chinese President Xi Jinping in a telephone interview on Tuesday to “use his influence” on Vladimir Putin to “end” the war in Ukraine, announced the German presidency in a press release. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Westerners have been trying to put pressure on China, which they criticize for its proximity to Moscow. Despite relations that have been strained with Beijing for two years, the European Union is seeking the support of Chinese leaders to obtain an end to the war in Ukraine.