Both NBC News and the AP news agency report that the Ukrainian president is in the United States. They cite public officials as sources for the information. The trip is Zelenskyi’s first trip abroad since February. He is not known to have left Ukraine since the war started on 24 February. Information about the trip to the Ukrainian president has so far been very sparse, due to his security. Zelenskyj himself confirms the visit in a Twitter message. It was learned already on Tuesday by the American media. – On the way to the USA to strengthen the resilience and strength of Ukraine. The President of the United States and I will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the United States. I will also give a speech in Congress and have several bilateral meetings, he wrote earlier today. Security around Capitol Hill should already be tightened. A worker prepares the final preparations for Zelenskyi’s visit to Washington on Wednesday. Photo: KEVIN LAMARQUE / Reuters Receives arms delivery According to the White House’s spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden and Zelenskyj will jointly announce a new package of aid to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that, among other things, it is about the USA sending the Patriot air defense system, the package is worth a total of 1.85 billion dollars – over NOK 18 billion. The website Axios previously wrote that it is expected that the US will also announce that Ukraine will receive more “smart” bombs, in addition to the advanced Patriot air defense system that Zelenskyj has requested. The Patriot system is considered important for Ukraine to be able to stop the many Russian missile attacks against the country’s infrastructure. They have repeatedly cut off the electricity, water and heat supply to many of the country’s cities in recent months. Went straight from the front Volodymyr Zelenskyj went to the USA straight from the front in eastern Ukraine, where on Tuesday he visited the Ukrainian soldiers defending the city of Bakhmut. – They defend the whole of Ukraine, said Zelenskyy, and added that after Donbas, Russia will wipe out all Ukrainian cities and everything that has to do with Ukraine. He probably left Ukraine by helicopter or car, and then went on by plane, perhaps an American military plane, from Poland or Romania. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press spokesman Dmitry Peskov says in a telephone conference that new arms deliveries to Ukraine will worsen the conflict. He does not believe that Zelenskyi’s visit will have anything to do with Ukraine’s view of the possibilities of achieving a solution to the conflict. Ukrainian authorities have said that the full withdrawal of the Russian forces must be the starting point to bring an end to the soon-to-be 10-month-long war between Russia and Ukraine.
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