Zelenskyy heads to White House after featuring in US politics

The Ukrainian president’s visit will signify that his prominent role in Trump impeachment trial is behind him.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will have his first visit to the White House on Wednesday, in a meeting Kyiv hopes will bolster security ties between the two countries, increase Ukraine’s position to join NATO and provide a platform to voice discontent about the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The visit, for both Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden, will also likely serve as a palate cleanser after the recently elected Ukrainian president found himself in a starring role in the 2019 impeachment investigation into former US President Donald Trump. Trump was accused of conditioning military aid to Ukraine – and a White House visit – in exchange for Zelenskyy digging up dirt on Biden’s son’s role at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.  The investigation indicated that Zelenskyy, a former comedian eager to display foreign policy clout, had resisted.