President Biden welcomes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as some Republicans question aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Washington, D.C., for the second time since Russia launched an assault on his country more than 18 months ago. The Ukrainian president received a warm welcome from President Biden and most in Congress, but he faces growing skepticism from some Republicans in Congress. 

The Ukrainian president met behind closed doors with members of the House and Senate before heading to the Pentagon and then to the White House for a meeting with President Biden. As he greeted Mr. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden outside the White House, Zelenskyy told reporters this visit is "very important." Mr. Biden will announce a new package of military assistance that includes "significant" air defense capabilities to help Ukraine "harden" its defenses, said national security adviser Jake Sullivan. 

In the Oval Office, Mr. Biden told Zelenskyy the people of Ukraine "have shown enormous bravery" and "inspired the world." Zelenskyy, speaking in English, said he had "frank" and "constructive" conversations with members of Congress, and he looks forward to discussing military support from the U.S., "with a special emphasis on air defense." Zelenskyy emphasized his gratitude to the U.S. for its past and continued aid. 

Zelenskyy encountered a slightly different environment on Capitol Hill than he did in December, when Democrats still controlled the House. It's in this environment that Congress is weighing more aid to Ukraine.

A number of Republicans in the GOP-controlled lower chamber are skeptical, if not vocally critical, of the United States' continued financial assistance of Ukraine, even as Mr. Biden and Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have emphasized that assistance is critical. After meeting with Zelenskyy, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said he remains firmly against additional funding for Ukraine.  

CBS News asked Sen. Thom Tillis if Zelenskyy made any appeals to senators like Hawley who are skeptical of Ukraine aid. 

"I don't think so," Tillis responded. "And quite honestly, I don't believe you can convince Josh Hawley to change his opinion. So why waste the time? Go focus on the vast majority of the members out there to support it."

Sen. Chris Coons said Zelenskyy was clear that if the U.S. steps away from supporting Ukraine, the Russians will win. 

In the White House briefing room, Sullivan downplayed fraying support from some Republicans, saying he thinks bipartisan support for Ukraine will continue to remain strong. Sullivan also encouraged Americans to step back and consider what success in Ukraine so far means. 

"Well, let's define success kind of stepping back for a moment," Sullivan said. "Number one — Kyiv stands, Kharkiv stands, Kherson stands. Major cities of Ukraine are not under Russian domination and occupation today because first and foremost, of the bravery of the Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines and the Ukrainian people who are supporting them, but also in no small part because of the material assistance we have provided. And that is a significant fact."

"Second, Ukraine is in fact taking back territory," Sullivan said. "It is doing so methodically, step by step, and the weapons that we have provided have allowed them to de-occupy more territory in the last three months than the Russians were able to take in eight months over the course of its fall and winter offensive last year. So we will keep at this." 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Zelenskyy requested a joint session of Congress, but McCarthy claimed there wasn't time for that this week — a signal of where Ukraine stands with the GOP-led House. 

"I think the best part is sit down walk through the question of what is the plan for victory, what is the plan in the field, the accountability issues that a lot of members have questions, just walk through that," McCarthy said before meeting with Zelenskyy. 

Zelensky inside the historic old Senate chamber briefing Senators on the state of the war. Two standing ovations so far. pic.twitter.com/mysq5afJKE

— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) September 21, 2023

Zelenskyy's Washington visit follows his first in-person appearance at the United Nations since Russia invaded in February 2022. Both Zelenskyy and Mr. Biden emphasized at the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine's security is international security. 

"If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?" Mr, Biden asked during his UNGA speech.

In a recent interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," Zelenskyy warned world order is at stake. 

"If Ukraine falls, what will happen in ten years? Just think about it. If [the Russians] reach Poland, what's next? A Third World War?" Zelenskyy told Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday. "We're defending the values of the whole world. And these are Ukrainian people who are paying the highest price. We are truly fighting for our freedom, we are dying. We are not fiction, we are not a book. We are fighting for real with a nuclear state that threatens to destroy the world."

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How to watch President Biden and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy

• What: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes meetings with top leaders in Washington
• Date: Sept. 21, 2023
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Location: Capitol Hill and the White House 
• Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.

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— Jack Turman contributed to this report

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.