(Photo : MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
A high-ranking Russian official said that Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden do not have the preparedness to address Russia's concerns.
The White House and the US Congress welcome Volodymyr Zelensky with great enthusiasm, but the Kremlin views the Ukrainian leader's visit as an indication that the US persists in its proxy war against Russia.
According to the Kremlin, the US's pledge to provide Ukraine with Patriot missile systems, made public during Zelensky's visit to Washington, DC, on Wednesday, won't help stop the Russia-Ukraine war and will not keep Moscow from accomplishing its objectives, according to CNN.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that during the historic Zelensky US visit on Wednesday, neither US President Joe Biden nor his Ukrainian counterpart indicated a prospective desire "to listen to Russia's concerns."
There were "no actual demands for peace," Peskov said. However, Zelensky did repeat Ukraine's 10-point peace proposal in his presentation to the US Congress on Wednesday, emphasizing that "we need peace."
Al Jazeera reports that there were no indications of peace negotiations during Zelensky's visit, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said this was proof that the United States and Russia were engaged in an "indirect war" until "the last Ukrainian."
Zelensky Addresses US Congress
One of the reasons for inviting Zelensky to the White House was to get clarification on his position on stopping the war. US officials have stressed that the Ukrainian leader's aim for a "just peace" that ends the Russia-Ukraine war will be a major focus of their discussions on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, though, Zelensky employed combative language that indicated an end to hostilities was still far off. He said that reaching a peace agreement would not need any concessions to Russia.
Though, Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that 'just peace' means "no compromises," suggesting that he does not see any path to peace that entails Ukraine surrendering land or sovereignty.
I thank @POTUS for the warm welcome and I deeply appreciate all the support of the U.S. and the American people. I am confident that together we will be able to secure a better, prosperous and free future for both of our nations. Ukraine’s victory will also be America’s victory. pic.twitter.com/OhclRtwIJy
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 22, 2022
Volodymyr Zelensky later told US Congress he had delivered a 10-point peace formula to President Joe Biden, but US sources say it was the same proposal he gave to the international leaders at the Group of 20 meetings last month.
There are still some doubts regarding Zelensky's long-term goals among the Western countries that have rallied to his support. President Biden's long-held opinion that his Ukrainian counterpart must decide how he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to finish is fraught with ambiguity.
Ukraine Needs Further Assistance
Ukraine has already received approximately $50 billion in US aid this year, with $23 billion in military aid and the remainder in economic and financial assistance. The Ukrainian military uses American ammo and armored vehicles in the field and American anti-aircraft missiles to protect their cities from Russian airstrikes.
Volodymyr Zelensky's administration must rely on assistance from the United States and European allies to make up for the country's widening budget deficit as the country's economy continues to suffer in the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to The Economist, the next assistance package up for a vote in Congress will be worth more than $44 billion and is expected to last until the end of 2023.
However, it's possible that the visit's timing was more influenced by the political upheaval that followed America's most recent congressional election. In January, the House of Representatives will be under Republican control, having previously been held by the Democrats. Most Democrats and Republicans favor extending assistance for Ukraine, but the GOP has a strong far-right isolationist minority.
US President Joe Biden's new military assistance package for Ukraine includes components to convert Ukraine's unguided bombs into guided variants. More importantly, Ukraine will get its first Patriot air-defence system to fight against Russian aerial assaults.
Related Article: US Patriot Missile System Can Increase Accuracy, Kill Rate, But There's a Problem for Ukraine
