On Wednesday, the White House confirmed that the first lady of Ukraine and the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were extended invitations to the State of the Union but chose not to attend. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre opted not to disclose further details.
According to The Washington Post, there were plans for Olena Zelenska and Yulia Navalnaya to be seated in close proximity to first lady Jill Biden at the State of the Union. However, discomfort arose among the Ukrainian attendees due to Navalny’s widow and her reported past statements. These statements allegedly indicated support for the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, despite condemning President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
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In response to inquiries about how President Joe Biden will approach foreign policy matters in Thursday’s State of the Union address and whether he will advocate for increased Ukraine aid from House Republicans, the press secretary stated, “The president will persist in making his case that House Republicans should take action. The speaker must bring the national security supplemental to the floor.”
“We are confident that it would receive widespread support. We cannot allow political considerations to obstruct our national security priorities. The president will emphasize this point unequivocally,” she stated.
