It is a particularly critical time for Ukraine: Russia continues to bomb critical infrastructure, there are power cuts and many citizens are experiencing sub-zero temperatures. In this critical phase of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) is leaving the country for the first time in ten months. He travels to Washington in hopes of gaining more support. The timing is crucial: the US Congress will only exist in this form for a few more days.
“Zelensky’s taking the risks of this trip demonstrates his willingness to do whatever it takes to secure U.S. political, financial, and military support for Ukraine,” said James W. Davis, 59, a professor of political science at the University of St. Gallen, after Blick.
Because US president Joe Biden (80) still has a lot of leeway and can, for example, assure Selenski of defense systems. But that will soon change. Biden’s Ukraine policy divides Americans and is met with criticism. The new Congress meets on January 3. After midterms, the House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of Congress, will be dominated by Republicans.
This makes it impossible for Biden and his Democrats to pass legislation independently. The result: “A large part of the so far subdued criticism could well turn into an outright obstruction by Biden,” says political scientist Marco Steenbergen (59) to Blick. Then any decision by Biden could be blocked by the House of Representatives.
Republicans favor Putin
“Republicans have generally been very sympathetic to Putin since the beginning of the war,” says Steenbergen. The Republicans would try to deny Biden any success – including in Ukraine. Selenski was aware of this dispute. “He will undoubtedly try to win over the new Republican leadership and get even more support from the White House,” the political scientist is convinced.
Besides the strategic importance, a personal visit is also a clear sign. Steenbergen to Blick: “Selenski dares to show his face publicly in the most powerful nation in the world.”
Davis knows this will also impress the American people. The speech to Congress will be broadcast on prime time television. Selenski gets the full attention of the Americans. Davis: “So that he can show how important the war in Ukraine is to American interests.”
“No doubt Russia will condemn the visit”
But not only Selenski uses the trip to America for his politics, the Democrats also campaign with it. “Biden wants to emphasize that the United States is and will remain on Ukraine’s side, even if he cannot decide this alone,” Davis explained. And: “Biden wants to impress the American people as well as Moscow.” The US president has indicated that he will not deviate from his Ukraine policy.
It remains to be seen whether the Kremlin will respond to Zelensky’s trip with further escalations. “There is no doubt that Russia will condemn the visit,” said Steenbergen. The government will present Zelensky’s visit as further evidence that Russia is at war with the “collective West”.
According to Steenbergen, the trip could also lead to further threats to escalate the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, 55, said on Tuesday that Zelenskiy “exacerbated” the conflict and that peace negotiations were off the table with the visit. But the political scientist doubts whether this will lead to a new escalation. “In my opinion, Putin has realized that the visit is not worth risking anything,” he says.
‘Zelensky gets the chance to personally express his thanks’
Leaving Ukraine now is risky. Russia is closely watching what Zelenskiy is doing. Therefore, his whereabouts are always kept secret. According to the White House, Washington and Kiev have agreed on “reasonable security measures” and increased police presence at the Capitol.
On Tuesday, the president of Ukraine proved that he is not afraid to take risks. To honor the Ukrainian soldiers, he traveled to the “hottest point” on the front line – to Bakhmut. A few hours later, fierce clashes broke out between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the city.
During his visit, Zelensky was also presented with a Ukrainian flag signed by the fighting soldiers. They asked that these be given to “our brothers from America,” as the commander put it. The fact that Selenski is now allowed to personally hand over this flag has a highly symbolic effect. Steenbergen: “Selenski has the opportunity to personally express his gratitude.”