Volodymyr Zelenskyy To Visit US As Congress Debates $24 Billion In Aid For Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the US next week for more aid for the country amid war with Russia as Congress debates over federal spending.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the United States next week amid Congress’s discussion for more aid to his country, reported The Associated Press. The report added that US President Joe Biden’s administration has sought USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion of humanitarian assistance. 

According to AL Jazeera, Zelenskyy will be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The UNGA session will take place from Sept 19-23 and Sep 26.

He is expected at the White House as well as on Capitol Hill. As per Al Jazeera, Zelenskyy is likely to meet US counterpart Biden at the White House on Thursday and will make a stop at the Capitol. 

His trip, second to the US, comes at a time when Congress is debating over federal spending, with the September 30 deadline to pass a budget, AP stated. 

An administration official told Associated Press that Zelenskyy will meet with Biden at the White House next Thursday. Moreover, the visit to the Capitol was confirmed by two congressional aides, it added. 

The report mentioned that several Republican party leaders have voiced against the idea of providing more aid to Ukraine for its battle against Russian invasion. Congress has approved aid of over USD 113 billion. However, its last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera.  

Furthermore, far-right politicians hold a greater say over how budget legislation is decided. In July this year, the report said, 70 House Republicans backed a proposal to cut off security assistance to Ukraine altogether. 

AP stated that Congress is increasingly divided over providing additional funding for Ukraine. 

When Zelenskyy Visited US In 2022 

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visited the US, his first trip foreign trip since the Russian invasion, in December 2022. He had delivered an impassioned address to a joint meeting of Congress.  

He had lauded the lawmakers and thanked Americans for helping to fund the war effort. He said the money is “not charity,” but an “investment” in global security and democracy.