Zelensky arrives in the US to start a crucial meeting with Biden before his speech before Congress

President Zelensky will meet with Joe Biden 0:39

(CNN) --

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is making a crucial visit to the United States on Wednesday, taking advantage of his first trip outside his country since it was invaded 300 days ago, to mobilize his main international partner in favor of a sustained military and economic aid.

The trip, arranged in secret last week by US and Ukrainian officials, carries great risks.

After arriving in Poland by train, Zelensky flew to Washington aboard a US military plane, US authorities said. He arrived in the United States shortly after noon, a source with knowledge of his itinerary told CNN.

Another source said he landed at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the nation's capital.

• ANALYSIS |

  Why is Zelensky's surprise visit to the United States so significant?

In the afternoon, he will visit the Oval Office for extended talks with US President Joe Biden, who will announce the delivery of nearly $2 billion in additional security aid to Ukraine, including a sophisticated new air defense system. .

The two will convene a press conference at the White House before Zelensky addresses members of Congress on Capitol Hill during prime time.

The Ukrainian leader's visit to Washington, expected to last just a few hours, marks an extraordinary moment 10 months after Russia's war in Ukraine began.

"The president really believes that as we approach winter, as we enter a new phase of this war, of Putin's aggression, it's a good time for the two leaders to sit face to face and talk," he said. John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, said on CNN's "This Morning."

The wartime visit, hastily arranged by U.S. and Ukrainian officials over the past 10 days, is meant to poignantly demonstrate America's continued commitment to Ukraine at a time when Biden's ability to maintain that support inside and outside the country.

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It will also give Biden and senior US officials the opportunity to poll Zelensky for his views on the trajectory of the conflict, and to offer his thoughts on what it would take to end the war.

"(Biden) will reinforce the fundamental message on this trip to President Zelensky directly -- to the Ukrainian people, to the American people and to the world publicly -- that the United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," a senior U.S. official said. the administration.

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A surprise visit

Biden first discussed the possibility of Zelensky visiting Washington during a phone call with the Ukrainian leader on December 11, according to an administration official.

A formal invitation was extended a week ago, which Zelensky accepted, initiating joint consultations on the security parameters of the risky and highly secret trip.

Zelensky, who the official said was "very much looking forward to" visiting the US, determined that those parameters met his needs, and the US went to work executing them.

The trip was finally confirmed on Sunday.

"We are working hand-in-hand with him and his staff to ensure that we can make this trip safely both on the way there and back. We will continue to support his travel needs to the best of our ability," Kirby said.

Zelensky traveled to Poland by train as part of his trip to the United States on Wednesday.

A video from CNN affiliate TVN in Poland captured Zelensky arriving by train in Przemysl, near the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Zelensky was next seen in a white SUV waiting to leave in a convoy.

Security has been tightened around Zelensky's visit amid concerns that Russia wants to incapacitate Ukraine's president, a source close to the Ukrainian leader told CNN on Wednesday.

According to the source, due to this permanent threat, senior government officials --as well as embassy staff in the US-- were not informed about the itinerary of the visit.

According to the source, the military risk had to be calculated so that the President of Ukraine could make the short trip abroad without endangering the military situation.

Scheduling also had to be worked on with the White House to assess readiness for this to happen, the source added.

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The source also told CNN that Zelensky did not want to travel without first making a significant breakthrough in the bilateral relationship between Ukraine and the United States.

Zelensky sees the US decision to send Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine as a major change in the relationship between the two allies.

When Zelensky arrives at the White House, he will meet for lengthy talks with Biden, along with key members of the US national security team.

The official said Biden and Zelensky would engage in an "in-depth strategic discussion about the way forward on the battlefield," along with the training and capabilities Western partners are providing Ukraine, the sanctions they have imposed on Russia and economic and energy aid to the Ukrainian people.

The two men will also discuss what ending the war may mean, a sensitive conversation in which US officials have insisted that Zelensky not be pressured into accepting concessions.

I have no doubt that they are going to talk about President Zelensky's notion of a "just peace" and what it looks like, what its components are and how we can help Ukraine get to that point," Kirby said.

"It is clear that Putin is not interested in diplomacy at the moment," he continued.

"On the contrary. He is interested in killing more Ukrainian civilians."

Zelensky leaves Ukraine for the first time since the start of the war

Throughout the 10-month invasion, Zelensky has become the international personification of the Ukrainian resistance, spending much of the year pleading with nations for support.

He has remained in his country throughout the war, reflecting both his desire to show unity with his embattled country and the precarious security situation he would face outside Ukraine.

However, as the first anniversary of the war approaches, international support for Ukraine is being tested.

Sanctions on Moscow have helped drive up energy prices, especially in Europe, which is heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas.

In the United States, Republicans poised to take control of the House of Representatives have signaled that they will not quickly approve new massive aid packages for Ukraine.

On the battlefield, Ukraine has recaptured key cities and shown improbable resistance to an ill-prepared and ill-equipped Russian army.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of slowing down and has been ruthless against civilian energy infrastructure, compounding the cold Ukrainian winter.

The moment seemed ripe for Zelensky to make a dramatic gesture like leaving Ukraine for the first time since the invasion began.

For Biden, the visit represents an opportunity to reinforce his convictions of support for Ukraine, even as the war rages on.

"We know that in the days to come, the conflict will continue," the senior administration official said.

"The winter will be harsh, and we will continue day after day to provide critical support to the Ukrainian people."

New military aid includes crucial missile system

The new $1.8 billion package that Biden will unveil includes a Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which has long been a request from Ukraine to defend against Russian airstrikes.

CNN was first to report that the United States was expected to send the Patriot systems to Ukraine.

• Exclusive: US Finalizes Plans to Send Patriot Missile Defense System to Ukraine

Unlike smaller air defense systems, Patriot missile batteries need much larger crews, requiring dozens of people to handle them properly.

Training for Patriot missile batteries typically lasts several months, a process the United States will now carry out under pressure from near-daily airstrikes from Russia.

The official said US troops would train the Ukrainians to use the system in a third country.

CNN previously reported that the training would take place at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The system is widely considered one of the long-range weapons most capable of defending airspace against the arrival of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as some aircraft.

Due to its long range and high altitude, it can shoot down Russian missiles and aircraft far from its targets in the Ukraine.

Russia has warned of non-specific "consequences" if the United States supplies Patriot anti-missile systems to Ukraine, viewing the shipments as yet another US commitment to the war.

The official was clear, however, that Biden was adamant about keeping the United States out of direct conflict with Russia, despite increased security assistance.

"The president has made it very clear that we are going to go ahead and strongly support Ukraine on the military, economic, energy and humanitarian fronts, but that we do not want to go to direct war with Russia. And none of that will change tomorrow," the president said. official.

-- MJ Lee and Matthew Chance contributed reporting.

Volodymyr Zelensky