Ukraine’s first girl Olena Zelenska declines State of the Union invitation | EUROtoday

But Navalnaya’s potential presence triggered discomfort for the Ukrainians, mentioned folks aware of Kyiv’s deliberations. Though her late husband is broadly hailed as an anticorruption icon who risked his life to oppose Putin, Navalny’s legacy in Ukraine is clouded by previous statements that Crimea, which Putin annexed in 2014, belonged to Russia.

Even although Navalny’s views later advanced into assist for Ukraine’s internationally acknowledged 1991 borders, many Ukrainians view him as out of step with Kyiv’s objectives.

“While in the West, we have always thought of him as someone who fought bravely and courageously against Putin, in Ukraine, Navalny is seen as in line with a mind-set of Russian nationalism and imperialism,” mentioned Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington suppose tank.

“Navalny opposed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, of course, but in 2014, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, he very much was in line with a general Russian view that saw Crimea as part of Russia’s historical lands,” Polyakova mentioned.

A White House official mentioned Zelenska’s determination was in all probability on account of “schedule conflicts,” and referred additional inquiries to Zelenska’s workplace, which didn’t reply to a request for remark.

The official added that the seating association was not finalized till just lately.

Navalnaya additionally declined to attend Biden’s tackle, in accordance her spokeswoman, who cited fatigue as an element.

“Yulia was indeed invited and considered going, but I think everyone forgets the circumstances against which the events unfolded,” mentioned Navalnaya spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh. “Yulia’s husband died two weeks ago. She’s been traveling all this time. Today is the first day she’s been home at all. Like any human being, she needs time to recover, and so while she very much appreciates the invitation, she needs to recover at least a little now.”

One U.S. official mentioned the White House possible didn’t inform Kyiv that Navalnaya had determined in opposition to attending, although her presence wasn’t the one concern for the Ukrainians, in keeping with folks aware of the state of affairs, who like some others interviewed for this report spoke on the situation of anonymity to explain non-public discussions.

Another subject for Kyiv, because it seeks further U.S. safety help, is being seen as too intently aligned with Biden. The president has been Ukraine’s chief advocate, however the authorities of Zelenska’s husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, has sought to keep away from additional politicization of the warfare effort.

At the second, Ukraine is desperately lobbying House Republicans to permit a vote on Biden’s request for $60 billion in support — a package deal opposed by the possible Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Ukraine is working low on artillery in opposition to Russia’s better-equipped forces and is starting to lose strategic cities alongside the entrance strains.

While urging lawmakers to assist the funding measure, Ukraine doesn’t need to offend Republicans, who may management the White House subsequent 12 months relying on the result of November’s election.

“The Ukrainians are very sensitive to our internal political dynamics,” mentioned Polyakova.

When Zelensky traveled to Washington in December, he took nice pains to solid support for Ukraine as a bipartisan trigger. “He had the same challenge of trying to walk a very fine line to not appear as too supportive of President Biden, even though he of course favored Biden’s agenda to arm and equip Ukraine,” she mentioned.

In his remarks on Thursday, Biden is anticipated to induce House Republicans to move Ukraine funding “as quickly as possible,” mentioned a White House official.

Each 12 months, the primary girl invitations a spread of people to affix her on the State of the Union, and the president will typically point out them in his speech as he highlights or promotes a sure coverage or subject space.

The White House has not introduced the primary girl’s company for this 12 months past Kate Cox, a Dallas-area girl who traveled exterior of Texas to obtain an abortion due to the state’s near-total ban on the process. Cox sought an abortion after she realized her fetus had a sometimes deadly genetic situation and that carrying the being pregnant to time period may jeopardize her fertility sooner or later.

Last 12 months, Jill Biden introduced a lot of company, together with the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova. Among the opposite company have been Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a Holocaust survivor, a father who misplaced a daughter to a fentanyl overdose and a most cancers survivor.

Lawmakers additionally convey company, and amongst these anticipated to attend this 12 months are the dad and mom of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia. Others embrace the primary particular person born through in vitro fertilization within the United States and households of hostages being held within the Gaza Strip.

Natalia Abbakumova and Serhiy Morgunov contributed to this report.