Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Washington on Wednesday in his first trip abroad since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of his country, the White House has said confirming reports.

US President Joe Biden “looks forward to welcoming President Zelenskyy tomorrow, December 21, at the White House, after which President Zelenskyy will address a joint session of Congress, demonstrating the strong, bipartisan support for Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.

The White House said that, during the visit, Biden would “announce a significant new package of security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.”

Zelensky also confirmed the trip on Twitter in a post published at the same time as the White House statement.

“On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of [Ukraine],” Zelensky said, adding that his discussions with Biden will include bilateral cooperation.

“I will also have a speech at the Congress and a number of bilateral meetings,” the Ukrainian leader added.

Source: dpa/MIA