A hero’s welcome awaited President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on his first trip to the US after Russia’s full-scale invasion, which came on the heels of two back-to-back military advances that showcased Ukrainian momentum to the West. Zelensky spoke to a joint session of Congress in December, highlighting the successes and appealing for continued aid.

Zelensky’s second visit, beginning Tuesday, is a more delicate political mission, coming in the face of scepticism over assistance to Ukraine from some Republican lawmakers and amid a slow-moving and so far inconclusive counteroffensive on which many hopes in the war had been pinned.

Zelensky will attend the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, where he is expected to continue an effort to win support among developing nations that have wavered or leaned toward Russia. Then he will travel to Washington to meet congressional leaders and visit the White House.

The Ukrainian President is approaching his appearances with a more balanced message. He remains a tireless advocate for military assistance for the Ukrainian army but has infused his pleas with deep expressions of gratitude for what the West has already provided.

It’s a shift in tone and approach for Zelensky after criticism that he was scolding his allies and appearing ungrateful as he pressed them for weapons.

At a Nato summit in July, Ben Wallace, then Britain’s defence minister, said, “Like it or not, people want to see a bit more gratitude.”

He said he was offering advice for Ukraine to win over those who have been sceptical of aid.

New York Times News Service