Kathmandu,

December 21,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to visit Washington on Wednesday, in his first known trip outside the country since Russia’s invasion began in February.

Two congressional sources and one person familiar with the matter confirmed plans for the visit. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the highly sensitive nature of the trip. They said Zelenskyy’s visit, while expected, could still be called off at the last minute due to security concerns.

The visit by Zelenskyy would coincide with Biden's intent to send the Kyiv government an additional $1.8 billion defense assistance package headlined by the Patriot missile systems to protect it from heavy Russian bombardment.