Zelensky Meets With Defense Contractors During D.C. Trip

(ConservativeInsider.org) – During a trip to Washington, D.C. in mid-December, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with defense contractors and American politicians.

The Ukrainian president was attempting to convince American politicians to continue funding his country’s war against Russia. Though President Joe Biden has been trying to push a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine, many members of Congress are hesitant to send more money to Ukraine without some concessions from Biden, specifically on security at the southern border of the US, which has been overrun with illegal migrants during Biden’s term. Other members of Congress want to hear Zelensky’s plan to defeat Russia, which has a larger military and more resources.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the US has sent $44 billion to aid their war efforts. Zelensky has been pushing the idea that providing more aid to the people of Ukraine will create jobs and boost the economy of both countries.

This is not the first time Zelensky has met with US defense contractors. In December 2022, defense contractors Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Pratt & Whitney hosted a party for Zelensky’s visit to the US, which many critics described as “brazen,” as they all stand to benefit financially from sending aid to Ukraine. During his most recent trip, Zelensky shared pictures and video on social media with several executives from major defense contractors. Some of the people at meeting were Raymond Piselli, the Vice President of Lockheed Martin; Steven O’Bryan, the Vice President of Northrop Grumman; Theodore Colbert, the president of Boeing; and Jeff Shockey, the Vice President of RTX.

Though President Biden has assured Zelensky that neither he nor the American people will “walk away” from supporting Ukraine, it seems unlikely that any additional support to Ukraine will happen before the new year. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been a strong supporter of the Ukrainian war effort, said it would be “practically impossible” to pass an aid package to Ukraine before Christmas, citing Republican opposition to it.