US President Joe Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House today in an awkward greeting.
Zelensky and his wife Olena arrived to the White House around 3:30 pm Thursday, where the president and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed them.
Biden seemed to stare blankly off into the distance as reporters took photos of the greeting, then awkwardly walked away from Zelensky into the White House.
The US president is expected to announce an additional US aid package to Ukraine on Thursday as part of his meeting with the Ukrainian leader.
Reports have said Biden will release more than $300 million in aid to Ukraine. There is still $24 billion to go for the fiscal year.
This aid comes at a critical time for Zelensky, who has hoped to gain support from Washington as his counteroffensive grinds on with no major breakthrough.
Both First Ladies of the two nations were in attendance at the meeting as well.
The Oval Office meeting will be attended by Zelensky’s military cabinet, as well as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.
Following the Oval Office meeting, Biden and Zelensky will attend a meeting in the East Room, where Vice President Kamala Harris will also be present.
Zelensky met with lawmakers earlier Thursday at the Capitol, where he asked for continued funding for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
The Ukraine president also met with a bipartisan group of House members Thursday morning and paid tribute to victims of 9/11 at the Pentagon memorial.
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