Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged President Joe Biden on Sunday to visit his country, saying, “He should come.”
Zelensky shared the comments during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper.
“I think he will,” Zelensky responded to Tapper’s question regarding a visit by the president.
“But it’s his decision, of course. And about the safety situation, it depends; I mean that. … But I think … he’s the leader of United States and that’s why he should come here to see,” he added.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that Biden is not currently planning a trip to Ukraine.
“He is ready for anything. The man likes a fast car, some aviators — he’s ready to go to Ukraine,” Psaki said on the “Pod Save America” podcast. She added, however, that “we are not sending the president to Ukraine.”
State Department spokesman Jake Sullivan also recently said that Biden has no current plans to visit Ukraine.
“President Biden doesn’t currently have any plans to travel to Kyiv. But what I will tell you is he sits in the Oval Office and in the Situation Room on a daily basis, organizing and coordinating the world when it comes to the delivery of weapons,” Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, earlier this month, walking through the war-torn streets with Zelensky and discussing what western nations could do to continue to provide aid to his people. The Daily Wire reported:
Johnson’s arrival came just days after Ukrainian defense forces were able to push Russian occupation troops out of Kyiv and the surrounding areas.
The visiting British leader tweeted a video of the two walking through the empty capital city of Kyiv, surrounded by armed Ukrainian defense forces, along with the following caption: “The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion. President @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion. The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.”
The Ukrainians have the courage of a lion.
President @ZelenskyyUa has given the roar of that lion.
The UK stands unwaveringly with the people of Ukraine.
Slava Ukraini 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/u6vGYqmK4V
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 9, 2022
“Over the last few hours, I’ve been able to see quite a lot of your beautiful country,” Johnson said. “And it’s an amazing country. I’ve also seen the tragic effects of the war. An inexcusable war, an absolutely inexcusable and unnecessary war.”
“But having been here in Kyiv just for a few hours, I have absolutely no doubt Volodymyr — listening to you, listening to your team, your redoubtable team — I have no doubt at all that an independent sovereign Ukraine will rise again, thanks above all to the heroism, the courage of the people of Ukraine,” Johnson continued.
“Thank you very much, and Slava Ukraini,” Johnson concluded, adding the phrase that is translated as “Glory to Ukraine.”
In addition to Johnson, the leaders of four NATO nations visited Kyiv on Wednesday in a display of solidarity. The presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Estonia traveled to the capital, where they met with Zelensky regarding Russia’s invasion.