Frank Calzón, Washington, 12 December 2023 — The temperature plummeted last night, and rain mixed with snow covered the sidewalks. The trees are already naked of their leaves, forming a multicolored carpet in the gardens of the Capitol.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has just arrived in Washington to meet immediately with senators and congressmen and with President Joe Biden, who continues to pressure the legislature to approve military aid to Kiev.
The Ukrainian leader disconcerted Vladimir Putin, who hoped to enter Kiev victoriously in a matter of weeks. The war had begun, and the expectation was that the Ukrainians would not be able to stop the advance of the Russian army. Several governments offered Zelensky a plane to leave his country. But the resistance of the Ukrainians surprised Putin and the world.
In a speech at the U.S. National Defense University, a day before the planned visit to the White House, the Ukrainian leader said: “We know what we have to do, and you can count on Ukraine, and we hope the same, to be able to count on you.”
In the press and in the official world of Washington, D.C., the high cost of military aid that Ukraine needs in order not to become a satellite of Moscow is discussed. Beyond the geopolitical consequences, if Russia manages to occupy Kiev, the U.S. and Europe would have to considerably increase military budge