President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise trip to the frontline
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise trip to the frontline city of Bakhmut on Tuesday where he met soldiers defending the city from Russian forces that have been trying to capture it for months.
Last Update
21 December 2022
Zelenskyy praised the bravery and fortitude of troops and civilians in the Donetsk city, saying: “Bakhmut Fortress. Our people. Unconquered by the enemy. Who with their bravery prove that we will endure and will not give up what’s ours. Ukraine is proud of you. I am proud of you! Thank you for the courage, resilience and strength shown in repelling the enemy attacks.”
Meanwhile, any mention of the war in Ukraine was conspicuously absent from a press conference held by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin after their talks Monday.
Lukashenko appeared to try to calm fears that Belarus could be absorbed by its larger, dominant neighbor Russia, and said Belarus benefited from its close relationship with Russia in terms of energy and industry as the leaders pledged to deepen ties.
“With regard to someone is absorbing anyone... The question arises, for what? Russia has always met us halfway. There is not a single issue that has remained unresolved today. We are meeting the Russian Federation halfway in the most difficult moment,” Lukashenko said, according to Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
White House and congressional security officials were laying the groundwork for a possible visit Wednesday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, five other sources familiar with the planning told NBC News.
U.S. Capitol Police, State Department agents and emergency management personnel have reportedly been preparing for Zelenskyy’s possible arrival. The Ukrainian president, who is currently the target of Russian forces amid its brutal assault on his country, could address lawmakers during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber, they said.
Plans are flexible and dependent on security, the sources say. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., confirmed to NBC News that she invited Zelenskyy to D.C., but she wouldn’t say whether he was coming
