Behind the scenes of Ukraine leader Zelensky’s lightning 10-hour wartime visit to US
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s short US trip included a meeting with President Joe Biden and a speech to Congress
- US and Ukrainian officials executed an elaborate plan to swiftly and safely bring Zelensky to Washington by train and plane
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During an October summit in Zagreb, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed with her counterpart in the Ukrainian parliament the prospect of Zelensky addressing the US Congress.
Biden administration officials had similarly for months talked with Ukraine about a Zelensky visit to the White House, hoping for one before year’s end to send an unmistakable signal of support ahead of a brutal winter that could deepen Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assault.
In previous calls, Zelensky had indicated to Biden and other senior officials that the United States was the first country he wanted to visit when the time was right for him to travel, according to a US official with knowledge of the conversations.
So in a December 11 phone call between the two leaders, Biden reiterated the invitation.
This time, Zelensky told Biden, was the right time.