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Ukraine's first woman Olena Zelenska declined a White Home invitation to attend President Biden's State of the Union handle on Thursday, her workplace stated, citing a scheduling battle.
“As a consequence of scheduled occasions, together with a go to to Kiev by kids from an orphanage that was deliberate prematurely, the primary woman will sadly not have the ability to attend the occasion,” Ms Zelenska’s press secretary Tetiana Haiduchenko stated on Wednesday. “
The White Home stated on Tuesday that Yulia Navalnaya – Russian opposition chief Alexei A. The widow of Navalny – who died in a Russian jail final month – was additionally invited to the handle, however is unable to attend.
The invitation to Ms. Zelenska, and the truth that she was unable to attend, was reported by The Washington Publish on Tuesday night.
If each girls have been in a position to attend, their presence may present a robust image of unity towards Russian President Vladimir V. Putin at a time when Mr. Biden is pushing a $60 billion navy and monetary help package deal over Republicans in Congress. Placing strain on for approval. For Ukraine.
Ukraine, going through setbacks on the battlefield, has stated it wants rapid US navy help to keep up its defence.
Ms. Zelenska’s choice to not attend Mr. Biden’s speech stands in distinction to Kyiv’s ordinary readiness to place representatives on the worldwide scene to drum up help for the war-torn nation. She and her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, have traveled extensively around the globe, attending awards ceremonies, diplomatic conferences and presidential inaugurations since Russia's full-scale invasion started two years in the past.
However latest visits of Ukrainian officers to the USA have yielded little outcomes. Mr. Zelensky left Washington empty-handed after assembly in December with Mr. Biden and members of Congress, whom he hoped to influence to unblock the $60 billion help package deal.
Michael D. Shear, Anatoly Kurmanev And oleksandra mykolyshyn Contributed to the reporting.