Ukraine-Russia news: Putin announces speech as Zelensky makes international trip

US President Joe Biden invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington last week, it has been revealed.

According to a senior White House official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky first discussed the Ukrainian president paying a visit when they spoke on the phone on 11 December.

On 14 December, Mr Biden then formally invited Mr Zelensky to Washington on 21 December.

The visit marks Mr Zelensky’s first trip outside of Ukraine’s borders since the war began 300 days ago.

A Ukrainian official has said that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “extremely significant” visit to the White House debunks Moscow’s claims about Ukraine and US relations.

Political adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters that Mr Zelensky’s trip to meet with President Joe Biden and speak before US Congress will also provide an opportunity to explain the real situation in Ukraine, what weapons Kyiv needs to fight Russia, and why it needs them.

“Firstly, both the visit itself and the level of planned meetings unequivocally testify to the high degree of trust between the countries,” he said.

“Secondly, this finally puts an end to the attempts by the Russian side … to prove an allegedly growing cooling in our bilateral relations.

“This, of course, is not even close. The United States unequivocally supports Ukraine.”

He added: “In my opinion, the visit will undoubtedly activate and optimise key areas of military cooperation, further mobilise bipartisan political support and more clearly paint a picture of the future if the war is not ended correctly.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make a surprise visit to the US on Wednesday – marking his first trip out of Ukraine in the 300 days since the war began.

The White House has now released the schedule for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to US President Joe Biden at the White House.

2pm ET – Mr Biden will welcome Mr Zelensky on the White House South Lawn

2.30pm ET – Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky will hold a two-hour bilateral meeting in the Oval Office 

4.30pm ET – Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky will hold a joint press conference

Mr Zelensky is then expected to address a joint session in Congress on the evening.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will make what he has described as an “important, substantive speech” later on Wednesday – coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement of a surprise visit to the US.

The Kremlin said that Mr Putin will meet his defence chiefs for an end-of-year meeting to “assess the progress of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine”.

The speech comes as Mr Zelensky will meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House today and give an address to Congress. His visit to Washington marks his first trip out of Ukraine in the 300 days since the war began.

Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky is expected to present US President Joe Biden with a Ukrainian flag signed by Ukrainian soldiers as the two leaders meet face to face in Washington DC.

On Tuesday, Mr Zelensky paid a visit to the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut and met with Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the frontline – before making the journey to the US.

While in Bakhmut, a Ukrainian soldier presented Mr Zelensky with a flag signed by frontline troops to give as a gift to Mr Biden and Congress as a thank you for the US’s assistance during the war.

The unnamed soldier told Mr Zelensky it was a gift “to our brothers in the US. We ask you to pass on to them. Thank you”.

Mr Zelensky will hand deliver the flag on Wednesday.

The Kremlin has warned that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s trip to Washington DC and continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine will lead to “deepening” conflict .

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The supply of weapons continues and the range of supplied weapons is expanding.

“All of this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict. This does not bode well for Ukraine.”

When asked if Moscow thought anything positive could come from Mr Zelensky’s visit, Mr Peskov answered: “No”.

The comments come after it emerged that Mr Zelensky is travelling to the US to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House and to deliver an address to Congress.

During the visit, Mr Biden is expected to announce that the US will send an additional $2bn in security assistance to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden is expected to announce that the US will send an additional $2bn in security assistance to Ukraine, as he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s in Washington DC.

Mr Zelensky is paying a surprise visit to the US on Wednesday where he will sit down with the US president and deliver an address to Congress.

During the visit, Mr Biden will unveil additional financial assistance to help Ukraine defend itself from Russian attack.

The huge package will include the Patriot missile defence system – a sophisticated system that Ukraine has spoken about wanting the US to provide in the past.

Nearly a year after Russian troops crossed into Ukraine with the aim of toppling President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government, the Ukrainian president will visit Washington to stand with President Joe Biden at the White House as they announce a new $2bn defence assistance package, including the provision of Patriot missile batteries and training for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Mr Zelensky will also address a joint session of Congress scheduled for Wednesday evening. It will be his second visit to the American capital since taking office, and the first since Russia launched its war against his country 300 days ago. It will be his second address to the US legislature, though his prior appearance — which received a standing ovation from Republicans and Democrats alike — was a virtual one made in March during the earliest days of the war.

The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg has the full story:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise visit to the US on Wednesday marks the first time he has left Ukraine since the start of the war.

It has now been 300 days since Russia declared full-scale war on Ukraine back on 24 February.

When the invasion was declared, the US had offered to help get Mr Zelensky out of the country but he refused – vowing to stay put and defend his country.

The monumental visit to Washington is expected to last only a few hours before the Ukrainian president will return to his homeland.

More now on former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s account of his meeting with president Xi Jinping.

Mr Medvedev said he and Mr Xi had discussed the two countries’ “no limits” strategic partnership, as well as Ukraine. He did not provide further details.

“We discussed cooperation between the two ruling parties of China and Russia … bilateral cooperation within our strategic partnership, including on the economy and industrial production. We also discussed international issues – including, of course, the conflict in Ukraine,” Mr Medvedev said.

“The talks were useful,” he added.