the ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky is making his first official visit to poland since russia invaded ukraine. warsaw has been one of the most outspoken and generous supporters of kyiv since the war started. it s taken in millions of refugees and sent more than 300 tanks. it was also the first country to send fighterjets to ukraine. in a moment, we ll be speaking to our correspondent hugo bachega who is in the ukrainian capital, kyiv. but first, let s go live to warsaw where we can speak to the bbc s adam easton. welcome. the first official visit by president zelensky since the outbreak of the war. what can we expect? outbreak of the war. what can we exect? , , , , expect? this building behind me is warsaw s expect? this building behind me is warsaw s royal expect? this building behind me is warsaw s royal castle expect? this building behind me is warsaw s royal castle where - warsaw s royal castle where president zelensky will be coming later to meet some of those refugees
diplomatic conversations he s having. i ve heard this domestically, but as you go to poland and consider what sources are telling you, what biden is telling his counterparts, what s the object of this as a political backdrop? reporter: you re absolutely right, ali. some have proposed legislation, they want to pull support for ukraine. but there have also been signs that the republican party more broadly as you know is sticking by ukraine. over the weekend we saw top house republicans and other republican leaders on tell vugs making the case they want to see more support for ukraine, not less. i spoke with poland s council general in new york, and he acknowledged there are concerns among the west republicans are less likely to be support of ukraine than the previous
i was telling the president that one of the staff members on the flight to poland asked me how many times i ve been to kyiv. hay i had to stop and think. it s my eighth trip. much has changed. also, the ukrainian people stepped up in a way few people ever have when they re on the fence and have apparently embraced the notion of democracy, no longer discussions about whether or not certain privileged people have control. you know, i bring good will from the members of the congress and have a very good impression when i spoke to them last. and for all the disagreement we
the war could change where we look at who is able to make headway in the coming days and weeks and one of the reasons this timely visit is so important. the uk, poland, all these other countries have tried to provide more military assistance, weapons, training ukrainians on tanks, even the brits training them on nato-style aircraft, trying to put ukrainians in the best position to move rapidly and seize back territory on this new offensive, but all eyes are on whether that ice going to be successful or if russia has used the winter months to regroup, replenish their badly diminished forces, and whether the russians are going to be able to regain the upper hand as we enter the second year of this war, jonathan. we have learned that the
congress, and that could affect u.s. support, but he said that s why it s their job, the job of western diplomats to make the case right now, this is not about charity. this is not about helping another country for its own sake. this is about helping ukrainians fight the russians in ukraine so the rest of the west doesn t have to fight it on their own territory. that a russia that is unstopped in ukraine will be undeterred in the rest of europe and will threaten the broader global stability, and that s why we re continuing to see trips like this with president biden set to meet with a group of nato countries on the eastern flank meet with the polish president, making the case it is in everyone s strategic interest to stop russia in ukraine so they won t have to fight russia elsewhere, ali. josh lederman, thank you. we want to bring in richard engel who s in the eastern part of the country. i want to read you a statement the president of the united