It is known that during the address, US President Joe Biden plans to urge Republicans to vote for aid for Ukraine.

Joe Biden’s administration confirmed Elena Zelenskaya’s refusal to attend his address / photo

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Ukraine’s first lady Elena Zelenskaya was invited to U.S. President Joe Biden’s address to House Republicans but was unable to attend.

“I would send you to Ukraine to explain her reasons, but she actually did it – she actually received an invitation from us. We know there will be overwhelming support for this. We cannot let politics get in the way of our national security,” she said. she during the briefing.

According to her, during the address Biden wants to convince Republicans to finally put the Ukrainian issue to a vote.

Zelenskaya’s visit to the USA: what is known

Yesterday, The Washington Post reported that Elena Zelenskaya refused to fly to the United States on the occasion of Biden’s address due to the fact that they planned to seat her next to the wife of the late Russian oppositionist Yulia Navalnaya or so as not to spoil relations with the Republicans by showing good relations with the Biden spouses. At the same time, according to the representative of the First Lady of Ukraine Tatyana Gaiduchenko, the reason for the refusal is a busy schedule.

The OP also confirmed that Zelenskaya declined the invitation to the United States due to “overlapping schedules.”

“The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States did recently receive an invitation for the First Lady of Ukraine to attend the US President’s speech to Congress on March 7. However, due to planned events in the schedule, including a visit to Kiev of children from an orphanage, which was planned in advance, Unfortunately, the first lady will not be able to take part in the event,” the OP noted.