Zelenskyj meets Biden today - and Putin wants to make "important announcement".

Created: 12/21/2022 7:17 am

By: Franziska Schwarz

Picture taken on December 20: Vladimir Putin at a ceremony in the Kremlin © Kremliin/UPI Photo/Imago

According to reports, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is expected in Washington.

Kremlin chief Putin wants to take stock.

News ticker on diplomacy in the Ukraine war.

• Zelenskyy

  and

  Biden

  meeting soon

  ?

  Pelosi remains vague.

• Putin

  probably with

  "important announcement"

  : Kremlin chief meets military leadership.

• This

  news ticker

  on

  diplomatic developments

  in the Ukraine war is constantly updated.

KIEV/Washington - Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not left Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression.

However, the Ukrainian President exchanged views with heads of state and government in numerous telephone calls and video conferences.

On Tuesday (December 20) Zelenskyy traveled to Bakhmut for a risky visit to the front.

Zelenskyy and Biden meeting soon?

Pelosi remains vague

Now Zelenskyj wants to visit Washington on Wednesday (December 21) on his first trip abroad since the beginning of the war.

The US government confirmed reports early Wednesday morning.

US President Joe Biden is said to also want to announce during the meeting that the US will deliver the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.

The outgoing Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, did not initially confirm the reports to the press.

But she said the visit of an "absolute hero" like Zelensky would "do credit to the US Congress."

The Ukrainian people are fighting in the conflict against Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin "for all of us, for democracy".

Putin probably with "important announcement": Kremlin chief meets military leadership

Meanwhile, Putin wants to take stock and give an outlook on the same day.

The Russian president will chair an expanded meeting of the Defense Ministry, to which 15,000 commanders and other military leaders will be connected via video, the Kremlin said on the previous day.

It is about the results of this year and about tasks and goals for the coming year, it said.

Earlier, Russia's state television reported that Putin would make an important announcement this week.

After numerous defeats in the "military special operation", as it is officially called in Russia, Putin is under pressure.

Hardliners, but also patriotic military experts, are calling for more decisive action by the army in Ukraine.