Taking The Secret Train To Poland Then Flying To The US, President Zelensky Determined His Security Parameters

JAKARTA - Still in the city of Bakhmut, which received an intense Russian attack to meet its soldiers on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was already in the United States the next day to meet President Joe Biden, a shocking journey amid the war.

The surprise visit was the first during the 300-day war, starting on a secret train trip to Poland on Tuesday evening.

The next morning, he arrived in Przemysl City, southern Poland, where he was spotted on a train station according to footage from private broadcaster TVN, along with US Ambassador to Ukraine

The guard at the arrival station was also tight, with President Zelensky always surrounded by attached guards, while there were also many security forces around him. A number of SUVs have been alerted near the train, with President Zelensky seen riding a white SUV.

The visit had been planned for days and organized in secret, due to concerns about his safety.

From Poland, he boarded a US government plane that landed around noon on Wednesday in Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, about 12 miles southeast of Washington.

He traveled by car to Blair House, the presidential guesthouse along Pennsylvania Avenue. After refreshing himself from his trip, he went to the White House, greeted by President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden.

Instead of a suit and tie, Zelensky wore a green troopLE and his signature cargo pants, a grim reminder that he came straight from the war zone.

There is no "math formula" for the right day for Zelensky to make this trip, a senior Biden Administration official told reporters late Tuesday.

The government consulted closely with President Zelensky about "security parameters" he could leave Ukraine and visit the United States briefly and back, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Of course, in the end it was his decision. He concluded that the security parameters were met. What he needed, we agreed with that, so we carried it out accordingly," the official said.

President Zelensky's visit lasted less than 12 hours. President Biden and Zelensky discussed the arrival in a phone call on December 11. The White House three days later delivered an official invitation to him, the US official said.

President Zelensky accepted the invitation last Friday and the visit was confirmed on Sunday.

Seen without a hitch, the visit had tremendous security implications, according to various sources familiar with the plan.

Hundreds of law enforcement and intelligence officials have been activated and the US Secret Service will be the main agent as he heads to the White House and speaks in front of Congress on Wednesday.

"Since he landed and walked down the stairs of his plane, he will have Secret Service security details," an official told ABC News.

"He will have those details until he takes the plane to depart," the official said.

The Secret Service will provide vehicles for its convoy of cars and will be assisted by a motorcade by police Prince George's County and Washington DC Metropolitan Police.

In addition, President Zelensky also brought details of Ukraine's own security.

Don Mihalek, a former United States Secret Service agent, said the Secret Service protected all foreign heads of state while in US territory.

"Secret Service is responsible for the protection of all visiting foreign heads of state," he explained.

"They will deploy a multi-institutional security umbrella to ensure their visit remains safe."

However, security officials at the most senior levels of government are "very" concerned about the possibility of something happening during the visit and when he returns home, at home or abroad, one source said.

Zelenskyy's trip to Capitol Hill will be similar to State of the Union's security preparations due to the high level of speech, the official said.

"Because they are at war with Russia, there is not only a potential threat from Russian agents, and Russian collaborators, but there will also be threats from those opposing Ukraine's independence and other countries that may have an interest in seeing Ukraine. unsuccessful," Mihalek said.

The Secret Service also consulted with the Capitol Police, CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies about the security environment. Every Capitol Police officer is on standby, according to one law enforcement officer.

"We are well aware that Russia has assets in this country and may try to do something. We know what is at stake," said a senior official.

The official expressed concern that news of President Zelensky's visit was spreading so quickly. It would be much better, he said, "if our enemy had less time, not more time, to think about doing something and to move assets and operations."

The official went on to say he was concerned about Zelensky's security as he left the country.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin and the Kremlin know he must return home," the official said.