Biden and Zelensky held talks at the Oval Office on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Welcoming Zelensky, Biden noted that 300 days had already passed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
He said: “It’s an honor to be by your side in united defense against what is a brutal, brutal war."
Biden added that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to weaponise the harsh winter against Ukraine, but he said Ukrainians continued to inspire the world with their courage, resilience and determination.
Biden announced an additional security assistance package of USD 1.85 billion, noting that this latest package for Ukraine would include a Patriot missile battery.
Zelensky, wearing his signature olive green sweater and cargo pants, thanked Biden for the invitation to the White House, adding that it was “a great honour to be here.”
He went on to present the US head of state with a Ukrainian medal for military merit, from an artillery captain who had been awarded the accolade.
The Ukrainian captain leads a HIMARS battery in the defence of Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut, the Ukrainska Pravda website reported.
“Underserved, but much appreciated,” Biden replied as he received the medal.
"You are the man of the year," the US president told Zelensky, referring to the accolade the Ukrainian leader received from Time magazine earlier this month.
Zelensky's talks with Biden at the White House focused on further US military assistance to Ukraine, the next steps in the war and efforts to achieve “a just peace,” officials told reporters.
At a news conference afterwards, Zelensky said: “I am standing here in the United States with President Biden on the same podium because I respect him as a person, as a president … For me this is a historic moment."
Biden said: “Before Russia invaded, we dedicated an enormous amount of security assistance to Ukraine …Since the invasion, that has resulted in more than USD 20 billion … Just today, I approved USD 1.8 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine.”
He added that Washington was focusing on four key areas of defence: air defence, including the Patriot system; advanced artillery systems that dozens of countries have provided to Ukraine; tanks and armoured vehicles; and ammunition, according to Britain’s The Guardian newspaper.
Biden declared: “We’re going to continue to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield … I don’t think we should underestimate the impact this war is having on Russia and the losses they’re suffering.”
Zelensky’s visit to America on Wednesday, during which he was also expected to address the US Congress, was his first known foreign trip since Russia invaded his country more than 300 days ago, news outlets reported.
Wednesday was day 301 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters, nbcnews.com, The Guardian, Ukrainska Pravda, CNN