Biden continues show of support for Ukraine: Zelensky wins promise of ... trends now

Biden has continued to show support for Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelensky as the war torn country won a promise from the White House of a 'significant' new weapons package.

The two presidents met at the White House on Thursday, as Zelensky made a whistle-stop tour around Washington D.C. intended to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort.

During the meeting, Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart that his 'bravery has inspired the world' and the White House will 'ensure the world stands with you'.

Today's meeting marked significant progression for the Ukrainian war effort, with Zelensky telling reporters that his visit was 'very important,' amid concern in Kyiv that conservative Republican scepticism on funding further military aid packages for Ukraine mounted.

Joe Biden is set to announce a new $325m military aid package for Ukraine, including further aid defence weapons, cluster munitions, and other weaponry that he will be key to helping Ukraine fend off Russian attacks throughout the winter.

'When it comes to weapons we will discuss everything with a special emphasis on air,' Zelensky said in the Oval Office. While the White House has promised 'significant air defense capability,' the U.S. has confirmed that it has turned down a request for long-range ATACMS missiles.

Maintaining continued support from the U.S. is a priority for Kyiv. Washington is the single largest backer of Ukraine's war effort. The U.S. has sent some $113bn in security and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commented that he was confident of 'strong bipartisan support' for continued aid to Ukraine.

Zelensky, who had earlier been meeting with Congressmen on Capitol Hill to make the case for further support from the U.S., faces a tricky political landscape in Washington. He urged Congress to 'stay strong' in their backing for Kyiv.

Conservative Republicans are adamant that funding for Ukraine should be cut. Zelensky said that he had frank discussions with Congressmen.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, who is a prominent backer of Ukraine in Congress, said that the Ukrainian President had warned him that Kyiv could 'lose the war' if aid from the U.S. does not continue.

Zelensky received a cool response from the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy is struggling to deal with an increasingly vocal right-wing among Republican lawmakers, six of whom have signed a joint letter declaring 'enough is enough'.

The Biden administration is pushing for Congress to authorize another $24bn in aid for Ukraine. 

McCarthy met Zelensky behind closed doors, and said afterwards that he remained non-committal about the $24 billion aid package to Ukraine but said Zelensky answered many of lawmakers' questions on the status of the war.

Zelensky told lawmakers: 'When this war started, you said to me, Ukraine, stay unified and stay strong. I'm coming back and saying to the United States: stay unified and stay strong.' 

Before his visit, Zelensky asked to deliver another joint address to Congress, as he did last December, Punchbowl News reported, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy denied the request.

'Zelensky asked us for a Joint Session and we just didn't have time,' McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday morning, pointing out the Ukrainian president had already addressed Congress. Zelensky spoke to a joint session in December when Nancy Pelosi was still speaker.

Congress has already authorized more than $110 billion to Kyiv since Vladimir Putin's invasion, and some members of the GOP have warned the White House they will oppose Biden's request to send another $24 billion.