According to the New York Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes that President Joe Biden will come and survey firsthand the devastation that has taken place in Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that aired on Sunday, Zelenskyy inquired whether the President intended to visit Ukraine and personally see the state of the country.
Zelenskyy told new anchor Jake Tapper on Friday that he thinks Biden will come but overall, it is the president’s decision. He said Biden, as leader of the United States, should take the opportunity to visit. Still, Zelenskyy noted he was unsure of Biden’s safety.
Biden stated during his time in Poland last month that “others” were preventing him from being able to enter Ukraine, though he did not specify who.
The New York Post quotes him at a briefing on humanitarian operations in Rzeszow, Southeastern Poland, saying, “They will not let me, understandably, I guess, cross the border and take a look at what’s going on in Ukraine.”
According to ZeroHedge, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had a surprise meeting with Zelenskyy on April 9 in Kyiv. Along with Johnson, the heads of state of Estonia, Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania have visited, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These visits prompted Zelenskyy’s call for Biden to show his support by visiting the war-torn country as well.
The New York Post reports that White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says no plans are being made at this time for the president to visit Ukraine.
However, he stated, “President Biden doesn’t currently have any plans to travel to Kyiv. But what I will tell you is that he sits in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room daily, organizing and coordinating the world when it comes to the delivery of weapons.”
Thursday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated the sentiment, declaring a firm “no” to the idea of the president visiting Ukraine.
In response to questions regarding the president’s mental and physical health, Psaki stated, “He is ready for anything. The man likes a fast car, some aviators — he’s ready to go to Ukraine.” Regardless, she added, “We’re not sending the president to Ukraine.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is also not expected to make the trip.
On Thursday, Biden issued a statement saying he and his administration were considering sending a senior U.S. official to meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.