A top Ukrainian government official has invited Democrat President Joe Biden to visit Ukraine during Russia’s invasion of the country.
Ihor Zhovka, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief diplomatic adviser, dared Biden to visit Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv during his trip to Europe next week.
Zhovka sent a message to Biden, noting that “one should not be afraid to” visit Kyiv, “if you are brave.”
He invited the Democrat president to pay Ukraine a visit when he travels to Brussels for a NATO summit next week.
Zhovka has requested that Biden facilitate Ukraine’s upcoming acquisition of U.S. weapons, which include fighter jets and missiles.
The adviser also slammed Ukraine’s allies, alleging Zelensky is “disappointed” in the U.S. and NATO’s apparent rejection to fulfill the nation’s request to impose a no-fly zone over its airspace.
“If NATO is not able to provide us with a humanitarian no-fly zone, please provide us with fighter jets, please provide us with anti-missile air defense systems,” Zhovka said during a CNN interview, Mediaite reported.
“So, my president will keep doing this,” he added.
“He spoke about this in the U.S. Congress.
“He’s talking about this on a daily basis.”
Biden, who has not publicly issued a decision on Zelensky’s request, was warned earlier this week that imposing the no-fly zone would be an “act of war.”
It remains unclear how Biden will proceed.
Zhovka also noted how leaders of three other nations have visited Kyiv and met with Zelensky.
“Well, you know, just this week, three prime ministers of three friendly nations – Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovenia – visited, personally, Kyiv, and they met personally with President Zelensky,” he said.
“So why [doesn’t] President Biden come to Ukraine to meet with the president?”
When questioned about the danger of Biden traveling to Kyiv, Zhovka said: “Well, definitely it is dangerous when you have a war against my country, a war in Europe.”
It is unclear if Biden will accept Zhovka and Zelensky’s invitation, which comes as Ukraine is set to receive a new shipment of U.S. weapons within days, including javelin and stinger missiles.
“The (weapons) will be on the territory of our country in the nearest future,” Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov confirmed in a televised interview Saturday.
“We are talking about days.”
Ukraine’s allies have delivered planeloads of weapons shipments to bolster its military against the Russian invasion.
Russia has criticized such deliveries from NATO member states.
Ukraine and the West claim that Russia’s invasion is floundering in part due to fierce Ukrainian resistance, poor planning, and low morale among Russian forces.
According to one US intelligence estimate, 7,000 Russian troops, including four generals, have been killed since the Russian invasion on February 24 and between 14,000 and 21,000 troops have been injured in the fighting.
Moscow’s Defense Ministry says that less than 500 soldiers have been killed.
Ukraine’s military has also suffered heavy losses, likely to be much higher than the 1,300 troops which Kyiv has confirmed as killed.
According to Ukraine’s military, Russia has lost 466 tanks, 115 helicopters, 914 vehicles, 95 aircraft, 213 artillery systems, 44 anti-aircraft weapons, and 60 fuel tanks.
Russia has not responded to Kyiv’s latest estimates, and the information could not be independently verified.
The estimates come as Russia used its latest hypersonic missile for the first time during its attack on Ukraine, a military spokesman said.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the hypersonic missiles, known as Kinzhal, destroyed an underground warehouse storing missiles and aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Konashenkov also said the Russian forces used the anti-ship missile system Bastion to strike Ukrainian military facilities near the Black Sea port of Odesa.
The World Health Organisation said it has verified 43 attacks on hospitals and health facilities, with 12 people killed and 34 injured.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that American officials were evaluating potential war crimes and that if the intentional targeting of civilians by Russia is confirmed, there will be “massive consequences.”
