Plans underway for Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to visit Capitol Hill: Sources

(WASHINGTON) — Plans are underway for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to address a joint session of Congress, according to sources.

The sources cautioned on Tuesday that the visit was not confirmed, dependent on security

The trip comes as Congress is considering $45 billion in funding for Ukraine. Earlier Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged all members to be present at votes “for a very special focus on Democracy Wednesday night.”

Zelenskyy, who enjoys broad bipartisan support on the Hill despite some Republican calls for more oversight of U.S. aid, has addressed Congress before — remotely — on March 16, some three weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the time he thanked Congress but called on the U.S. to do more for his country. He invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr. — “I have a dream” — and said “I have a need” to protect Ukraine.

At the end of the roughly 16-minute speech, he addressed President Joe Biden directly: “You are the leader of the nation … I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”

At the end of the roughly 16-minute speech, he addressed President Joe Biden directly: “You are the leader of the nation … I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.”