Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska declined a White House invitation to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, citing a scheduling conflict, her office said.
“Due to scheduled events, including a pre-planned visit to Kiev for orphanage children, the first lady will regrettably not be able to attend,” Zelenska’s press secretary Tetyana Haiduchenko said on Wednesday.
The White House said on Tuesday that Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei A. Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died in a Russian prison last month, was also invited to attend. speech, but she was unable to attend.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday night the invitation to Ms. Zelenska and her failure to attend.
The White House wants both women to attend the speech to showcase the fight for freedom and resistance to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, according to a person familiar with the matter. Officials also believe the presence of the two women will serve as a powerful symbol of how much is at stake for those who oppose further aid to Ukraine.
Mr. Biden has been pressuring congressional Republicans to approve a $60 billion military and financial aid package for Ukraine, and he is expected to make a strong push for continued support for Ukraine in a speech Thursday night.
Faced with setbacks on the battlefield, Ukraine says it urgently needs U.S. military assistance to maintain its defenses.
Zelenska’s decision not to attend Biden’s speech contrasts with Kyiv’s usual willingness to send representatives to the international stage to drum up support for the war-torn country. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began two years ago, she and her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, have traveled extensively around the world, attending award ceremonies, diplomatic conferences and presidential inaugurations.
But Ukrainian officials’ recent trip to the United States has had little effect. Zelensky left Washington empty-handed after meeting with Biden and members of Congress in December, hoping to persuade them to lift obstacles to a $60 billion aid package.
Anatoly Kumanayev and Alexandra Mykolysin Contributed reporting.