Biden and Zelenskiy meet at White House The US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed their Ukrainian counterparts, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Olena Zelenska, at the White House in Washington. Asked by a journalist how important his visit was, the Ukrainian leader replied: Very important. A new US military aid package for Ukraine worth $325m will include air defense systems and the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155mm Howitzer cannon, Reuters reported, citing a US official. NBC shared a full list of the capabilities included in the package, ahead of the announcement expected later today. AIM-9M missiles for air defense Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) Avenger air defense systems .50 caliber machine guns to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems 155mm artillery rounds, including DPICM 105mm artillery rounds Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems Over 3m rounds of small arms ammunition 59 light tactical vehicles Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing Spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment US president Joe Biden, speaking at the Oval Office at the start of talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the US remains committed to providing support in Kyiv’s efforts to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. Addressing Zelenskiy directly, he said: “Your bravery has inspired the world,” and added that he was “determined to show” that “we stand with you”. Zelenskiy "looking forward to discussing air defence" in talks with Biden Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in brief remarks before a White House meeting with Joe Biden, said he looked forward to a discussion “about everything, with a special emphasis on air defence”. Asked if he was worried that Ukraine is losing Poland as a friend over the grain dispute, Zelenskiy said: I want to thank the Polish people, Polish society for their support. That’s it. US House speaker Kevin McCarthy denied Volodymyr Zelenskiy a joint session of Congress, which would have given him the opportunity to deliver a speech and address everyone, CNN reported, citing a source. McCarthy also avoided being seen with Zelenskiy publicly. He denied official photographers access to the room where House leaders met the Ukrainian president, the source added. But he took photos with Zelenskiy during a closed-door meeting, and a source shared with CNN photos from the room. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is now holding a meeting with Joe Biden, told the US president that he looked forward to their discussions with a “special emphasis on air defense”, the Wall Street Journal’s Ken Thomas reports. Volodymyr Zelenskiy has shared a video showing his visit to the Pentagon earlier today, where he met with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, Gen Mark Milley, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, as well as other officials. The Ukrainian president said he thanked the US for its support during his meeting with Austin, and that the pair discussed US deliveries of artillery systems and long-range capabilities to Ukraine. Biden and Zelenskiy meet at White House The US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed their Ukrainian counterparts, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Olena Zelenska, at the White House in Washington. Asked by a journalist how important his visit was, the Ukrainian leader replied: Very important. The US will provide a new military aid package worth $325m (£264m), NBC News is reporting, citing two US officials. The package will include more air defence and artillery capabilities to support Ukraine’s armed forces, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said. Ryder, briefing reporters, described the meeting between US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “very warm” and “very engaging” and that the pair had a “great conversation”. The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, greeted Ukraine’s president and first lady, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Olena Zelenska, in the early afternoon at the Pentagon, where the Ukrainian leader also met Army Gen Mark Milley, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff. Joe Biden’s decision not to provide Atacms missiles to Ukraine will disappoint Ukrainian officials, who had been “very optimistic” that the US president would approve the 300km-range missiles, the Financial Times’ Christopher Miller writes. Ukraine wants Atacms to help its forces strike deep behind Russian lines to disrupt their supplies and demoralise the entrenched enemy troops. In recent days, the Biden administration was reported to be moving towards approval of supplying the missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN on Tuesday that he was sure the negotiations were “on the finishing line”. US officials have said in the past that the Pentagon has concerns over the inventory of Atacms for US defence needs and the White House wants to ensure it does not supply weapons that could be used to hit Russian territory, for fear of being seen by Moscow as a direct combatant.