Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko arrives in the United States today to lobby the White House and Congress for increased aid to bolster the beleaguered country against a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.
However, The Washington Post notes: "amid concerns about Ukraine's commitment to anti-corruption efforts and Western caution about escalating a military conflict with Russia, it remained far from clear that Ukraine's leader would leave Washington with a substantial new pledge of support."
Poroshenko plans to meet with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and House Speaker John Boehner. He will also address a joint meeting of Congress.
The Associated Press writes:
"White House officials made clear that Poroshenko's visit — his first to the U.S. since being elected this summer — was aimed in part at sending a message to Russia about the West's backing for the embattled former Soviet republic. "'The picture of President Poroshenko sitting in the Oval Office will be worth at least a thousand words — both in English and Russian,' White House spokesman Josh Earnest said."
Last week, Boehner said of the Ukrainian leader's plan to visit: "Having President Poroshenko address Congress is another signal of our steadfast commitment to the aspirations of his people."
His visit follows a similar stop in the Canadian capital on Wednesday, where the Ukrainian president was met with cheers and standing ovations in a speech before Parliament.
"To be frank with you, I feel very much at home with you here today in a country that is very close to Ukraine," Poroshenko told members of parliament in Ottawa. "Canada is a friend, indeed."
Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
