WASHINGTON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a whirlwind return visit to Washington on Thursday to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.
The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he got last year, but also won generally favorable comments on the aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.
Zelenskyy, in long-sleeve olive drab, came to the Capitol with a firm message in private talks with Republican and Democratic leaders. The Ukrainians have a solid war plan, and “they are winning,” lawmakers quoted him as assuring them, at a time that the world is watching Western support for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also spoke with military leaders at the Pentagon and was meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin greeted Zelenskyy at the Pentagon without the usual ceremonial band or fanfare that is typical of a high-level visit.
The Ukrainian president found varying levels of support from House lawmakers. Republican leaders pressed him for his plans for winning Ukraine’s counteroffensive against invading Russian forces, as the war moves closer to the two-year mark without major breakthroughs in Russia’s heavily mined lines.
Zelensky “conceded that it’s tough, very tough to overcome entrenched defenses,” Independent Sen. Angus King said. “They believe they will make slow but steady progress, but it’s not going to be quick.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who faces opposition on support for Ukraine among followers aligned with former President Donald Trump, notably chose not to join in greeting the Ukrainian president before the cameras. That left House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to escort Zelenskyy into the Capitol.
But Republican Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee, said Zelenskyy in his meeting with House lawmakers “gave us details on the offensive that were very positive and his long-term goals and objectives. People in the room appreciated and supported it.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul played down Republican dissent about continuing to support Ukraine with money and arms, saying, “The majority of the majority support this.”
But McCaul stressed lawmakers needed confidence that there was a clear strategy for victory.
“War of attrition is not going to win this,” McCaul said. “That’s what Putin wants,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He wants to break the will of the American people and the Europeans.”
It is Zelenskyy’s second visit to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and comes as Biden’s request to Congress for an additional $24 billion for Ukraine’s military and humanitarian needs is hanging in the balance. Back home, Russian launched its heaviest strikes in a month in the hours before Zelenskyy’s arrival at Congress, killing three, igniting fires and damaging energy infrastructure as Russian missiles and artillery pounded cities across Ukraine.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the Ukrainian president “our best messenger” in persuading U.S. lawmakers to keep vital U.S. money and weapons coming.
“It’s really important for members of Congress to be able to hear directly from the president about what he’s facing in this counteroffensive,” Kirby told reporters Wednesday, “and how he’s achieving his goals, and what he needs to continue to achieve those goals.”
Biden has called on world leaders to stand strong with Ukraine, even as he faces domestic political divisions at home. A hard-right flank of Republicans, led by Trump, Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 race for the White House, is increasingly opposed to sending more money overseas.
