Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to meet with U.S. leader Joe Biden at the White House on December 12, a day after his Washington visit began with plea to U.S. military leaders for additional aid to his beleaguered nation.
Zelenskiy is also scheduled to address U.S. senators at 9 a.m. local time and meet privately with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol.
His meeting with Biden is set to take place later in the afternoon, when the two leaders will discuss what the White House said were the "urgent needs" facing Kyiv in its battle against the Russian invasion.
In his remarks on December 11 at the National Defense University in Washington, Zelenskiy told military leaders and students that his country was counting on U.S. support and that it "won't give up" as the war moves closer to the two-year mark.
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"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin must lose. We know what to do. You can count on Ukraine, and we hope just as much to be able to count on you," Zelenskiy told the military gathering.
In his introduction of the Ukrainian leader, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin promised "unshakable" support for Kyiv and warned that Putin still had hopes of winning his war against in Ukraine, despite the Kremlin's heavy losses in the conflict that begin in February 2022.
"Despite his crimes and despite his isolation, Putin still believes that he can outlast Ukraine and that he can outlast America. But he is wrong," Austin said as the crowd of military leaders and students applauded.
"America's commitments must be honored," he added as the Biden administration struggles to convince many opposition Republicans of the need to continue to aid Kyiv.
Zelenskiy said that "if there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it's just Putin and his secret clique. Ukrainians haven't given up and won't give up."
Zelenskiy also met in Washington with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on December 11 as the organization's executive board released an additional $900 million from Ukraine’s $15.6 billion loan package.
"We spoke about the remarkable resilience of the people of Ukraine despite the enormous toll of the war," Georgieva said.
"The [Ukrainian] economy is performing strongly, with GDP growth projected to reach at least 4.5 percent this year. Inflation has continued to decline, to an annual rate of 5.1 percent in November."
Zelenskiy's visit comes after he canceled a video address to U.S. senators on December 5 as debate heated up on Biden’s nearly $106 billion request for funding for the wars in Ukraine and Israel.
The Biden administration asked Congress in October to pass the aid package, which would cover not only aid for Ukraine and Israel but also border security, but the Republican-controlled House rejected the request.
As Zelenskiy strived to make the case for deblocking the aid package in the United States, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on December 11 held talks with European Union counterparts in Brussels, where an EU summit on December 15 will decide whether to launch membership negotiations with Kyiv and also give it 50 billion euros ($53.8 billion) in economic aid.
Kuleba warned of "devastating" repercussions for Ukraine and the EU if the bloc will not agree on greenlighting the start of admission talks with Ukraine.
"I cannot imagine, I don't even want to talk about the devastating consequences that will occur shall the (European) Council fail to make this decision," Kuleba said ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Kuleba said that Kyiv was "still struggling to understand these harsh statements from Hungary" and added that Ukraine implemented all the judicial and education systems reforms that the bloc required for the start of accession talks.
"We did our homework," Kuleba said. "We expect the European Union to do its homework."
SEE ALSO: Wider Europe Briefing: A Crucial Week In BrusselsThe Washington visit follows Zelenskiy’s first trip to Latin America, where he thanked regional leaders on December 10 for their support of his country in its battle against the full-scale Russian invasion and the “fight for freedom and democracy.”
While in Argentina for the inauguration of new President Javier Milei, Zelenskiy met briefly with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in a bid to resolve differences over Ukraine's bid for European Union membership.
SEE ALSO: With Aid In Doubt And Advances Slow, Ukraine Struggles In The War's 'New Phase'Orban has maintained close ties with Putin and his nationalist government has argued against EU sanctions on Moscow over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Orban last week reportedly sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel to demand that Ukraine's membership in the bloc be taken off the agenda at an EU summit next week.
Despite Zelenskiy's short meeting with Orban in Argentina, Hungarian Foreign Minister's Peter Szijjarto on December 11 said Budapest would not give in to "blackmail" and will not change its position.
"We continue to make our decisions in accordance with European and national interests and do not allow any kind of pressure, irrespective of who or where it comes from, or whether it's blackmail or promises," Szijjarto said on Facebook.