A Ukrainian military captain asked Zelenskyy to give Biden a medal he had won for his service: ‘Give it to a very brave president’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks after giving President Joe Biden a gift as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, in Washington.Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented President Joe Biden with a medal at the request of the soldier it was awarded to.

Biden welcomed the Ukrainian president to the White House on Wednesday. During a meeting in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian soldier, who he described as a “real hero, a real captain,” asked him to pass along the award.

Zelenskyy said the soldier is the captain of the HIMARS battery, a unit that uses an advanced long-range weapons system from the US.

“He’s very brave, and he said, ‘Give it to a very brave president,”‘ Zelensky said, adding that the award was a “Cross for Military Merit” as he handed over a box that held the medal.

“Undeserved but much appreciated,” Biden said. He also asked for the soldier’s name so he could contact him and give him a “command coin.”

The trip to the US marked Zelenskyy’s first departure from Ukraine since Russia invaded in February. In addition to meeting with Biden, the Ukrainian president was expected to meet with a number of senior US officials on the trip, and address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday evening.

During the White House visit on Wednesday, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Biden for the support of the US during the war, and came with a list of wishes for additional military aid.

Biden announced $1.85 billion in additional military aid for Kyiv, which would include the first transfer of a Patriot missile defense system, the main air defense system of the US military.

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