Sitting with Biden beneath portraits of former presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and reading prepared remarks from cards, Zelensky also thanked Congress for its “big, huge support”.

Biden hailed the “enormous bravery” of the Ukrainian people as they fight back Russia’s invasion, adding that “the American people are determined to see to it that we do all we can to ensure the world stands with you”.

“We’re supporting a just and lasting peace, one that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

But on his second wartime visit to Washington, Zelensky faced a far trickier political landscape than when he arrived to a hero’s welcome in December 2022.

While the White House announced it would give him a “significant air defence capability”, there was no deal to provide the long-range missiles that Zelensky covets.

Russia unleashes missile barrage on several Ukraine cities as UN meets

The first US M1 Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine “next week”, Biden said Thursday, adding that he had “approved the next tranche of security assistance for Ukraine”, which the Pentagon later valued at US$325 million.

It includes air defence missiles, ammunition for Himars precision rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and artillery rounds.

But the package does not feature the long-range ATACMS missiles – which can strike up to 300km (190 miles) away – that Kyiv has repeatedly requested.

And in Congress, Republican and Democratic leaders are locked in a bitter spending battle that could spark a US government shutdown, with a US$24 billion aid package for Ukraine at risk.

The hard-right faction dominating the Republican Party is increasingly adamant that the aid spigot should be turned off, with Congress having already approved US$100 billion in aid to date, including US$43 billion in weaponry.

The Ukrainian leader arrived right after another wave of Russian missile strikes. The attacks – hitting cities across the country – killed at least three people in Kherson and wounded many in other areas.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, a major supporter of Biden’s pro-Ukraine policies, said Zelensky had told him “if we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war”.

As part of his bid to win over Washington, Zelensky went to the Pentagon where he laid a wreath at a memorial for victims of the September 11 attacks.

Poland’s president says PM was misinterpreted on Ukraine arms

On Capitol Hill, Zelensky got a notably discreet welcome from the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, who is having trouble keeping a lid on internal party squabbling over US spending in Ukraine.

Some Republicans say the money could be better spent on US border security, while there are also concerns about the pace of Kyiv’s counteroffensive and that corruption in Ukraine means the money will go to waste.

The doubts are being fuelled by messaging from former president and likely 2024 candidate Donald Trump, who has opposed more funding and frequently expressed admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

It’s a trend that has also reached parts of the generally more pro-Ukraine Republicans in the Senate, where Senator Roger Marshall said Congress should not be “sending another blank cheque to Zelensky” and six senators issued a joint letter declaring “enough is enough”.

Earlier this week, Zelensky attended the UN General Assembly meeting in New York where he urged the world to stand firm with Ukraine against Russia’s “genocide”.

His warning came a day before Poland said it would no longer arm Ukraine in a mounting row over grain exports.