Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, launching a dramatic visit to the US – his first trip outside his homeland since it was invaded 300 days ago – to rally his top international partner behind sustained military and economic assistance.

Zelensky arrived to the South Lawn just after 2 p.m. Wearing a suit and instead of his now-familiar military green shirt – he was met by President Joe Biden, who invited him to visit the White House earlier this month. The men shook hands ahead of what were expected to be lengthy talks about the path forward in Ukraine.

“I am in Washington today to thank the American people, the President and the Congress for their much-needed support.

And also to continue cooperation to bring our victory closer,” Zelensky said in a post on his official Telegram channel.

“I will hold a series of negotiations to strengthen the resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine. In particular, we will discuss bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the United States of America with US President Joseph Biden,” he said.

“Next year, we must return the Ukrainian flag and freedom to our entire land, to all our people,” he said.

The trip, which US and Ukrainian officials arranged in secret over the past week, came with heavy risks. After arriving in Poland by train, Zelensky flew to Washington aboard an American military aircraft, US officials said. He arrived in the US shortly after midday, a source familiar with his travels told CNN. A separate source said he landed at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the nation’s capital.