Zelensky's visit to Biden is a signal to Putin

 

Wolfgang Hansson  

 

The visit is to stop criticism in the US and is a signal to Putin  

 

Published: Less than 20 min ago  

 

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.  

 

COLUMNISTS  

 

President Zelensky's visit to Joe Biden is a message of strength but also a signal to Russia that the US has no plans to leave Ukraine in the lurch. 

 

At the same time, the summit is an attempt to counter the critical voices within the Republican Party who question the support for Ukraine.  

 

Volodomyr Zelenskyy is currently the cover boy of international politics. His effort to organize and motivate the Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression has been absolutely crucial to Ukraine's remarkable ability to withstand the onslaught of one of the world's most powerful military powers.  

 

During the ten-month war, Zelenskyi has spoken countless times before the parliaments of various countries to drum up support. But until now he has not left Ukraine. When he does, it is to be received by the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States.  

 

For security reasons, the surprise visit was kept secret until the Ukrainian president was already on his way.  

 

The trip to the US is a demonstration of strength. Zelensky sends a signal to Putin and the Russian people that Ukraine is in the driver's seat of the war. He can travel abroad without worrying and Putin can't stop him. 

 

Putin, in contrast to Zelenskyi, has become an international pariah. Very few leaders want to meet him. The other day he made one of his few trips abroad after he invaded Ukraine. The journey went to Minsk and the equally loathed dictator colleague Alexandr Lukashenko.  

 

Zelensky's short visit to the White House and the US Congress gives him and President Biden the chance to bask in their counterpart's stardom. The visit benefits both.  

 

The timing is no coincidence.  

 

Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AP TT NEWS AGENCY  

 

Stop Russian rockets  

 

Within weeks, the Republicans will take over the House of Representatives. There, the new majority leader Kevin McCarthy has repeatedly expressed criticism of the extensive American support for Ukraine. His opinion that the US should instead use the money to solve domestic problems is shared by many of his party colleagues.  

 

Biden wants to get through a large economic package this week, which includes support of 450 billion kroner to Ukraine. In addition, during the visit, he intends to present extra military support of SEK 20 billion, which includes one of the USA's most advanced air defense systems, Patriot.  

 

The fact that the US is providing Ukraine with a Patriot battery to stop the Russian rockets from destroying Ukraine's electricity, water and heating supplies this winter is a clear message to Putin. The more he tries to crush Ukraine the more support the US will give.  

 

The wavering attitude of the Republicans is a serious threat to Ukraine and a source of hope for Putin. There are only two years left until the next presidential election and at the moment it looks like Donald Trump may make a comeback in the White House. The same Trump who during his four years in the White House often praised Putin. 

 

By inviting Zelenskyj, Biden hopes that the Ukrainian president's star shine will also convince the Republicans of the vital importance of Ukraine's struggle for the United States as well. Admittedly, the war is costing the US enormous sums, but Ukraine's resistance is also helping to break down the war machine of one of the US's main challengers on the international stage. Without the USA needing to fire a single shot. 

 

Joe Biden earlier in December. Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP  

 

Press Zelensky  

 

The value of that should be clear even to Republicans. And so far, at least a majority of the party's senators back support for Ukraine, even if things look worse in the House of Representatives. 

 

It is speculated whether, at their meeting, Biden will pressure Zelensky to agree to start peace talks with Russia in the near future. Officially, all such talk is rejected by the Biden administration, which instead says that US support is there "as long as it is needed". 

 

In the past, there has also been some irritation in Washington with Zelensky's constant demands for more support and lack of gratitude for the sacrifices that the US and Europe are making after all. Now Zelenskyy gets the chance to express his thanks directly to members of Congress in the hope that it will charm them into continuing to open their wallets. 

 

But the longer the war drags on without a clear winner, the harder it will be to maintain public support for Ukraine. Not only in the US but also in Europe. 

 

Zelensky plays a decisive role here.  

 

His daily updates to the Ukrainian people, his ability to instill hope and resilience, his straightforward honesty. All that helps keep the flow of foreign arms and money going without which Ukraine would have no chance of crushing Putin's imperialist agenda

The other day, Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian soldiers at the front in Bakhmut, a town where some of the bloodiest battles of the war are taking place. Today he is received in the Oval Room of the White House.

Biden may be the world's most powerful man but there is no doubt who is its brightest star.