Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s first lady, declined a White House invitation to attend President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, her office said, citing a scheduling conflict.
“Due to scheduled events, including a visit to Kiev from a children’s orphanage, which was previously planned, the first lady will unfortunately not be able to attend the event,” Mrs Zelenska’s press secretary, Tetiana Hyduchenko, said on Wednesday.
Yulia Navalnaya — the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei A. Navalny, who died in a Russian prison last month — was also invited to the address but is unable to attend, the White House said on Tuesday.
Ms. Zelenska was invited, and the fact that she was unable to make it was reported by the Washington Post on Tuesday evening.
The White House had hoped to include both women in the speech as a demonstration of the freedom struggle and as a show of resistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a person familiar with the planning of the speech. Officials also believed the presence of the two women would be a powerful symbol of how high the stakes are for those opposed to more aid to Ukraine.
Mr. Biden is pressing Republicans in Congress to pass a $60 billion military and financial aid package for Ukraine, and he is expected to make a big push for continued support in his address Thursday night.
Facing setbacks on the battlefield, Ukraine has said it urgently needs US military aid to maintain its defenses.
Ms. Zelenska’s decision not to attend Mr. Biden’s speech contrasts with Mr. Kyiv’s usual readiness to bring delegates to the international stage to support the war-torn nation. She and her husband, President Vladimir Zelensky, have traveled extensively around the world since Russia’s full-scale invasion began two years ago, attending award ceremonies, diplomatic meetings and presidential inaugurations.
But recent visits by Ukrainian officials to the United States have yielded some results. Mr. Zielinski left Washington empty-handed in December after meeting with Mr. Biden and members of Congress whom he hoped to persuade to block the $60 billion aid package.
Anatoly Kurmanaev And Oleksandra Mykolyshyn Contributed to reporting.