Joe Biden Tells Volodymyr Zelensky U.S. Stand With Ukraine 'As Long as It Takes'

U.S. President Joe Biden reassured Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States will support them "as long as it takes" amid its war with Russia.

Biden also told Zelensky that he "will never stand alone" during the Ukrainian president's first overseas visit since Russia's invasion started.

Ukraine has been holding on to the defense assistance the U.S. has vowed to provide. Zelensky has thanked Washington for its support while Biden confirmed a new aid package of more than $2 billion for Ukraine and promised another $45 billion.

Zelensky hoped that the U.S. Congress would pass the extra $45 billion aid to Ukraine to help them defend their "values and independence."

Republicans are set to take control of Congress in 2023. The lawmakers have warned that they will not write a "blank check" for Ukraine.

Washington announced a package of security assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, which includes a new Patriot missile system.

The missile system is aimed to help Ukraine defend its cities from missiles and drones that Russia has fired against critical facilities.

Zelensky will be addressing Congress after the White House meeting.

Volodymyr Zelensky Addressing Congress

Zelensky told the U.S. Congress that "your money is not charity," saying that it is an "investment" in the works of global security and democracy. The Ukrainian president added that they handle it "in the most responsible way."

Zelensky also said Ukraine never asked for U.S. soldiers to "fight on our land instead of us" while assuring Congress that Ukraine's soldiers can operate U.S. tanks and planes themselves.

Zelensky received one long, standing ovation from members of Congress as he arrived to give a speech to a joint session of the legislature.

Zelensky also took the opportunity to talk about the frontlines in Bakhmut, wherein he said that "every inch of that land is soaked in blood."

He then wished the United States a merry Christmas, adding that many Ukrainians will be celebrating by candlelight "not because it's more romantic," but due to the power outage in Ukraine.

At least 100,000 Russians and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or injured, with around 40,000 civilian deaths since Russia's invasion on February 24, according to U.S. military estimates.

Russia's Ukraine Invasion

Meanwhile, the Kremlin government said nothing good will come of the Ukrainian president's trip to Washington. It added that Russia sees no chance of peace talks with Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that continued western arms supplies to Ukraine would cause the "deepening" of conflict, which could backfire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that Russia will fulfill all the goals of the "military campaign" in Ukraine in an end-of-year meeting.

Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, upped the current one million servicemen to 1.5 million during the fighting in Ukraine.

He also proposed raising the range for mandatory Russian military service to cover citizens aged 21-30.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting that he and Xi talked about a "no limits" strategic partnership.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Biden welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to White House | full video - from CBS News