WASHINGTON, December 23. /TASS/. During his meetings with US President Joe Biden Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky tried to convince him that Kiev can win "outright" over Russia, but US officials find it highly unlikely, the Washington Post wrote on Friday.

"Zelensky used his brief encounters with Biden and lawmakers on Wednesday to argue that Ukraine is capable of winning the war outright - something U.S. officials privately say is highly unlikely," the newspaper says, citing sources. According to the publication, the arrival of the Ukrainian President to Washington was also "an effort to shore up support among skeptical lawmakers and other Americans before a brutal winter of fighting."

The publication reports that the crew of the American military aircraft on which Zelensky arrived in the United States did not know until the last moment that the Ukrainian President would be on board. The US military believed that the passengers would be the US ambassador to Ukraine and a number of Ukrainian officials.

"The trip came together in a matter of days, with only a tight group of White House and other senior administration officials aware of the plans," the newspaper says.

According to the newspaper, "Zelensky had made it clear to Biden for several months that he wanted to make the United States his first visit outside Ukraine."

On December 21, at Biden’s invitation, Zelensky spent several hours in Washington, where he met with the head of state, the leadership of Congress, and delivered a speech. Zelensky's visit was timed to coincide with the announcement of a new $1.85 billion US military aid package. For the first time, the Patriot air defense battery was included in it.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request from the leaders of the Donbass republics for help. The West then imposed large-scale sanctions against Russia and increased arms supplies to Kiev by billions of dollars.