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☆ A Far-Right Party Emerges as a Possible Kingmaker in Croatia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Joe Orovic | Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A far-right party emerged on Thursday as a potential kingmaker in Croatia after the governing conservatives finished first in a bitterly contested parliamentary election but fell short of winning enough seats to form a new government. The HDZ, led by the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, won 61 seats in the 151-member legislature, according to the near-final official tally. That was more than all its rivals, including Rivers of Justice, a left-leaning coalition formed by President Zoran Milanovic, which won 42 seats to finish second. The far-right Homeland Movement finished third with 13 seats. Speaking early Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatian capital, Mr. Plenkovic said his party had “convincingly won” but acknowledged that he would need help from rival groups to form a government and secure a third term as prime minister.

Persons: Andrej Plenkovic, Zoran Milanovic, Plenkovic, “, ” Organizations: Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, Homeland Movement Locations: Croatia, Balkan, Yugoslavia, Rivers of, Zagreb, Croatian

The movement is in stark contrast to Croatia’s recent past, when it was part of the former Yugoslavia, a Communist-run country that protected abortion rights in its constitution 50 years ago. As a result, many women have traveled to neighboring Slovenia for an abortion over the years. Pushed forward by a women’s organization born out of World War II, the right to abortion was later included in Yugoslavia’s constitution. Elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia, Serbia and Slovenia have included the freedom to choose whether to have children in their constitutions. Bosnia’s women can legally obtain abortion during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, though economic impediments exist in the impoverished, post-war country.

Persons: ”, Ana Sunic, Tanja Ignjatovic, Sanja Sarnavka, “, Muzevni, Mirela Cavajda, Cavajde, Jasenka Grujić, Grujic, ” Grujic, ” Ignjatovic, Sabina Niksic, Predrag Milic Organizations: Catholic, European Union, Autonomous Women’s Center, Associated Press, Gec Locations: ZAGREB, Croatia, Catholic Croatia, European, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, Communist, Zagreb, Croatia's, “, France, Balkans, Belgrade, Serbia, Croatian, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Podgorica, Montenegro

☆ Why Nora Turato is taking on the wellness industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Victoria Woodcock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

stop lying!” — a solo show at Sprüth Magers’ Los Angeles gallery, and a riposte to the wellness industry. Robert Wedemeyer/Courtesy Sprüth MagersAt the latter in 2022, she performed her one-woman “pool 5” monologue live more than 20 times over a two-week period. Born in Zagreb, Turato refers to her home country as “very in-between — not really eastern Europe; not really west,” she said. Robert Wedemeyer/Courtesy Sprüth MagersFor Sprüth Magers co-founder Philomene Magers, “Nora’s work puts people in front of a mirror,” she said. Tellingly, Turato’s self-optimization journey has ended in digital detox.

Persons: Nora Turato, “, ”, Zoom, Robert Wedemeyer, Barbara Kruger, —, Magers, Philomene Magers, it’s, haha, Turato, Julie Adams, It’s, — “, You’ve, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Museum of Modern Art, Hollywood, Systems, “ Locations: Croatian, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, New York, Zagreb, Croatia, Arnhem, Netherlands, Turato, Europe, ”, LA

☆ ‘Kill B.’ Review: Dances of Dominance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Siobhan Burke | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The dancer Mia Zalukar lay collapsed on the stage of NYU Skirball, seemingly exhausted after a long solo — but she wasn’t doing it quite right. This is one of many such exchanges in “Kill B.,” a 2019 work by Isakovic and Zalukar that had its United States premiere on Friday evening as part of the Queer New York International Arts Festival. Organized by the Croatian curator Zvonimir Dobrovic, the festival features artists from Croatia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Germany exploring “what it is to be outside of the norm,” Dobrovic said in a curtain speech. He stressed that this outsider status is contextual; it might mean one thing in post-socialist Zagreb, another in São Paulo. Inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” movies, the decidedly brief “Kill B.” doesn’t evoke the bloody violence of the films (though there are some choice references) so much as the fraught director-actress relationship at their core.

Persons: Mia Zalukar, NYU Skirball, Bruno Isakovic, ”, Isakovic, Zvonimir Dobrovic, ” Dobrovic, —, Quentin Tarantino’s “, Bill ” Organizations: NYU, Queer New York International Arts Locations: “, States, Croatian, Croatia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Zagreb, São Paulo

☆ Milan-Ljubljana train route to be revived after over 100 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Now, a new route opening up fast, direct access between two European countries will spin passengers back more than a century to the times of the Habsburg empire. It is thought that this is the first train from Milan to Ljubljana since the empire was dissolved in 1918. It’s also picking up the route of a night train from Budapest to Venice, which passed through Ljubljana, but finished in 2011. Since 2018, there has been a regional train from Trieste to Ljubljana, but train staff of the two operators switch at the border at Villa Opicina station. “Trieste and Ljubljana were first connected by train in 1857, when both cities were part of the Habsburg Empire.

Persons: we’ll, Stanley Tucci, Francesca Volpi, Slovenia’s, Habsburg, It’s, “, It'll, ”, Giovanni Vale, Markus Mainka, Trenitalia Organizations: CNN, intel, Slovenian Railways, Bloomberg, Getty, Spanish Riding, Austro, Croatian Railways, South Railway Company, Deutsche Bahn Locations: Habsburg, Italy, Slovenia, Slovenian, Milano Centrale, Milan, Ljubljana, Venice, Trieste, Postojna, Skocjan, Budapest, Villa, Rijeka, “ Trieste, Vienna, Zagreb, Belgrade, Balkans, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Munich

☆ Budimir seals Croatia qualification for Euro 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Borna Sosa's cross from the left was perfect for the forward to get ahead of his marker and score from six yards out. Turkey topped the pool with 17 points from their eight games, one more than Croatia. Wales had to settle for a place in the playoffs, while Armenia's dream had been extinguished before their final game. It is a sixth successive qualification for the continental finals for Croatia, and their seventh overall, having finished second and third at the last two World Cups, but never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the Euros. Croatia had to be patient but when Budimir headed them in front just before the break, it eased the tension and was just reward for their ambition.

Persons: Ante Budimir, Marcelo Del Pozo, Ante Budimir’s, Budimir's, Luka Modric, manfully, Kamo, Dominik Livakovic, Budimir, Modric, Mario Pasalic’s, Nair Tiknizyan, Andre Calisir, Ognjen Cancarevic, Nick Said, Toby Davis Organizations: Soccer Football, Copa, Copa del Rey, Real Madrid, Osasuna, Estadio, La, Armenia, Croatia, Wales, Thomson Locations: Copa del, Seville, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Zagreb, Armenia, Turkey

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Authorities in Croatia on Wednesday recommended people drink only tap water as they investigated reports of several cases of people falling ill and suffering injuries allegedly after consuming bottled beverages. Health Minister Vili Beros said several people have sought medical help for “injuries inflicted by suspected chemical elements." “There is no need for panic but there is for caution.”The Coca-Cola Co. in Croatia offered full cooperation in a statement. “Until then, it is our general recommendation to drink water from the water system, which should be safe,” Beros said. Reports of alleged poisoning emerged after a man was hospitalized over the weekend in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka after drinking fizzy bottled water in a cafe.

Persons: Vili Beros, ” Beros, “, Krunoslav Capak Organizations: — Authorities, Health, Co, Police, Croatia's Public Health Institute Locations: ZAGREB, Croatia, Rijeka, Zagreb

☆ Coca Cola HBC withdraws some drinks in Croatia while illnesses investigated
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsZAGREB, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Coca Cola HBC said on Wednesday it was temporarily withdrawing batches of two soft drinks from sale in Croatia while the authorities there investigate cases of illness suspected to have been caused by the beverages. Earlier Croatia's state inspection office ordered the local arm of Coca Cola HBC, which distributes Coca-Cola products, to withdraw a batch of Coca-Cola Original Taste 500ml. At the weekend, a young man in the Adriatic town of Rijeka suffered throat injuries after consuming a Romerquelle Emotion drink. The individual is being treated in hospital, Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday, later telling state television HRT that 13 other people across Croatia had also reported symptoms after consuming Coca Cola drinks. Coca Cola HBC said in its statement: "We are working closely with our customers throughout this process".

Persons: Arnd, Vili Beros, Antonio Bronic, Daria Sito, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Coca Cola HBC, Health, HRT, Thomson Locations: Glattbrugg, Switzerland, Rights ZAGREB, Croatia, Adriatic, Rijeka

☆ Slovenia deploys police on borders with Croatia, Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OBREZJE, Slovenia, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Slovenia on Saturday deployed police on border crossings with Croatia and Hungary to prevent potential security threats, leading to queues as travellers waited to have their documents checked. The Slovenian government had on Friday decided to introduce temporary border controls until Oct. 30, following its neighbour Italy which introduced controls on its border crossing with Slovenia to improve home security. Police were deployed on 14 border crossings with Croatia and Hungary, Slovenian news agency STA reported. Travellers queued to have their papers checked at the Obrezje crossing on the border with Croatia, where checks had not taken place since Jan. 1 this year when Croatia joined the control-free Schengen Area. Reporting by Antonio Bronic; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: queued, Fjacko, Antonio Bronic, Ivana Sekularac, David Holmes Organizations: Saturday, Slovenian, Police, Croatia, Croatian, Thomson Locations: OBREZJE, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Slovenian, Zagreb, Europe, Balkans

☆ Sri Lankan food and chefs finally get global recognition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Zinara Rathnayake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The tourism connectionThe increased visibility of Sri Lankan cuisine has “been a long time coming,” Meewalla says. “This continuous online exposure makes people try out Sri Lankan food in restaurants.”Diverse influencesToday, more and more Sri Lankan chefs across the world are championing Sri Lankan food while defying common misconceptions about the cuisine. “It has helped change the global perception that Sri Lankan food is different from Indian food, and it’s not only a lot of curries paired with rice,” Williams says. Meewella points out that Sri Lankan cuisine is also heavily plant-based with many vegan options, which helps the cuisine stand out and resonate with global audiences. I cannot wait for casual Sri Lankan food to become a nationwide craving across America.”

Persons: Kolamba, Aushi Meewella, ” Meewalla, ”, Meewella, Dhayanie Williams, “ We’ve, it’s, ” Williams, Sam Fore, Bruno Morandi, “, Williams, Brian Senaratne, Curry Bowl’s, We’ve Organizations: CNN, Sri, MasterChef, Masterchef, Bank, Curry Bowl Locations: London’s Soho, Sri Lankan, Sri Lanka, London, Sri, Lankans, Lankan, Kolamba, Tamil, Sri Lankans, American, Lexington , Kentucky, Lexington, Uppuveli, Nadodi, Kuala Lumpur, Zagreb, Croatia, America

☆ Fact Check-Video shows Vedic hymns chanted in Croatia, not White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of people citing Vedic hymns was filmed in Croatia in 2018 but has been falsely captioned online to claim it shows an event in the White House. “At White house,’Shri Rudram Stotram’ was recited at the White House in America,” read posts on Facebook (here) and (here) and messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter (here). The video matches images of an event organised by Veda Union, a network of European Veda chanting groups, in Zagreb, Croatia in 2018 (here). The White House and Veda Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Video of people chanting Vedic hymns was filmed in Croatia, not the White House.

Persons: “, Rudram Stotram ’, ”, Rudram, Read Organizations: White, Facebook, Veda Union, Veda, Reuters Locations: Croatia, White, America, Zagreb

☆ Euro knocked by ECB rate pause talk, dollar cautious before Powell
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Dhara Ranasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Euro currency bills are pictured at the Croatian National Bank in Zagreb, Croatia, May 21, 2019. The euro hit its lowest since mid-June at around $1.0766 before drifting higher. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six others, rose to 104.31, the highest since June 6, but edged lower during London trade. Powell speaks at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium at 1405 GMT, while ECB chief Christine Lagarde speaks at the same gathering later in the day. Sterling touched its lowest level since June at around $1.2560 before recovering to around $1.2610 to trade just a touch softer on the day.

Persons: Antonio Bronic, Fed's Powell, Jerome Powell, Powell, Christine Lagarde, Jeremy Stretch, Sterling, Marc Chandler, Dhara Ranasinghe, Ankur Banerjee, Kirsten Donovan, Christina Fincher Organizations: Croatian National Bank, REUTERS, Central Bank, Federal, Reuters, Jackson, ECB, CIBC, Bannockburn Global Forex, Thomson Locations: Zagreb, Croatia, London, Britain, U.S, Bannockburn, Singapore

[1/3] Euro currency bills are pictured at the Croatian National Bank in Zagreb, Croatia, May 21, 2019. The services component sank to 48.3 from 50.9, its first time below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction this year. The single currency weakened after the German data, hitting its lowest level against the dollar since June 15 at $1.0805. "The decline in services activity was a sharp move and we've seen a soft euro environment," said Niels Christensen, chief analyst at Nordea. The spot yuan opened at 7.2870 per dollar on Wednesday and was last changing hands at 7.2899.

Persons: Antonio Bronic, Niels Christensen, Martin Beck, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Nordea's Christensen, Colin Asher, Samuel Indyk, Ankur Banerjee, Kim Coghill, Mark Potter, Chizu Organizations: Croatian National Bank, REUTERS, P, European Central Bank, PMI, Bank of England, Reuters, Federal, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Mizuho, Thomson Locations: Zagreb, Croatia, Britain, July's, U.S, Europe, tenterhooks, Tokyo, London, Singapore

☆ Toto Cutugno, Italian singer famous for smash-hit single ‘L’Italiano,’ dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Salvatore “Toto” Cutugno, the Italian singer-songwriter best known for his 1983 hit “L’Italiano,” has died at age 80, local media reported Tuesday. Cutugno was also a regular at Italy’s Sanremo song contest, which he won in 1980 with “Solo Noi,” and was runner-up multiple times. But he was most famous for his 1983 smash hit, “L’Italiano,” a pop song that celebrated the nation’s identity and culture. Though it didn’t make an impression in the United States or United Kingdom, it shot him to stardom across Europe. In Zagreb in 1990, Cutugno won Italy its second Eurovision Song Contest victory, with his song “Insieme: 1992” (“Together: 1992”), which he composed and wrote himself.

Persons: CNN — Salvatore “ Toto ” Cutugno, “, ”, Cutugno’s, Danilo Mancuso, Hospital “, Giorgia Meloni, Cutugno, Johnny Hallyday, Dalida, senza, sotto gli, Toto Cutugno, Gigliola, Carla, Nicolo Organizations: CNN, Hospital, Italian, Sanremo, European Union, Eurovision Locations: Italian, Milan’s San, United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Zagreb, Italy, Rome

FIRE stands for "financial independence, retire early," and the movement has gained momentum over the last decade. Yet, I don't work because I love it, or because writing is some sort of passion I have. Some would say we are pursuing Fat FIRE, which is basically early retirement on steroids. 3 reasons to pursue early retirementWhat's funny is, a lot of people seem to think pursuing early retirement is really strange. We all know that not everyone can pursue early retirement, or for some, any type of retirement at all.

Persons: it's, —, It's, doesn't, Get, Heck, That's, Read Organizations: FIRE, Service, Centers for Disease Control Locations: Athens, Zagreb, Rome, United States, Dubai, Maldives

☆ UEFA's Ceferin calls on Europe to end "cancer" of soccer violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Soccer fans detained following violent clashes between AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb soccer fans, that lead to the death of a man, are taken to a magistrate, in Athens, Greece, August 11, 2023. "This is the cancer of football and those are not football fans," Ceferin said. "Violence and hooliganism are not only a Greek problem," he said adding European countries, institutions and media had to work together to help end football violence. Greece has made repeated efforts to reform soccer, which has been plagued by violence on and off the pitch. Mitsotakis said that Greece was exploring a further tightening of rules to help end violence at sporting events.

Persons: Louiza, Alexander Ceferin, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ceferin, Michalis Katsouris, George Gerapetritis, Mitsotakis, Renee Maltezou, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Soccer, AEK Athens, Dinamo Zagreb soccer, REUTERS, Rights, UEFA, Dinamo Zagreb, Greek, AEK, Croatian, Aris Thessaloniki's, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Europe, Croatia

☆ Greek soccer fan dies as soccer fans clash in Athens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ATHENS, Aug 8 (Reuters) - A 22-year-old fan died on Tuesday after being seriously injured in violence among fans of AEK Athens and Dinamo Zagreb soccer clubs in Athens, semi-state Athens News Agency reported on Tuesday. The man was stabbed several times in clashes among fans of both clubs outside AEK's football pitch in Nea Philadelphia late on Monday, a police official said. Police said 100 to 120 Dinamo Zagreb fans showed up late on Monday near the AEK stadium, and where AEK fans had gathered. A UEFA Champions League qualifying-round match between AEK and visiting Dinamo Zagreb is scheduled to take place at AEK's stadium on Tuesday. Greek soccer has been plagued by violence on and off the pitch and authorities have repeatedly promised to clean up the game.

Persons: Angeliki Koutantou, Gerry Doyle Organizations: AEK Athens, Dinamo Zagreb, Athens News Agency, Police, AEK, UEFA Champions League, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Athens, Nea Philadelphia, AEK's

☆ Croatian restaurant offers one pot menu cooked by robotic chef
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Antonio Bronic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] View of a meal that the robot chef prepared at the restaurant Bots & Pots in Zagreb, Croatia, February 9, 2023. You can order any of them at a Croatian restaurant where a robotic chef is able to rustle up about 70 different one pot meals. The devices add oil and seasoning according to digital recipes made by a human chef. The robotic chef called GammaChef is "taught" digitally how to cook a meal by the restaurant's head chef, then remembers it and repeats it endlessly. "Our final goal is to create a 'no waiter, no chef, no cash' space where you order, get and pay for food without human contact."

☆ ECB must keep raising rate despite public sacrifice, Vujcic says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Euro zone core inflation could drop below headline price gorwth in 2023Still, that is not a signal that the ECB's job is done, the Croatian argued. "There is a possibility that headline inflation will fall to 2% much sooner than expected due to various factors ... (that) bring the headline figure down sharply, below core inflation," Vujcic said. Dutch central bank chief Klaas Knot has also warned that headline inflation could fall below underlying prices. Economists call sacrifice ratio the loss suffered in order to achieve a reduction in the long-run inflation rate. "We would have to explain to public why we are keeping restrictive monetary policy stance if headline inflation already fell," Vujcic said.

☆ Kyiv berates Croatian president for saying Crimea won't return to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign ministry criticised Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on Tuesday for saying Crimea would never return to Ukrainian control, describing his comment as "unacceptable." Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and Kyiv has said it will not abandon efforts to regain control of the region. "We consider as unacceptable the statements of the president of Croatia, who effectively cast doubt on the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook. In the same statement, Nikolenko thanked the Croatian government and people for backing Ukraine's since Russia's invasion in February last year. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has openly voiced support for Ukraine.

☆ Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine - Croatian president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, will never again be part of Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday in remarks detailing his objection to Zagreb providing military aid to Kyiv. read moreA vocal critic of Western policy in Ukraine, Milanovic has said he does not want his country, the EU's newest member state, to face what he has called potentially disastrous consequences over the 11-month-old war in Ukraine. He added that the arrival of German tanks in Ukraine would only serve to drive Russia closer to China. "It is clear that Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine," Milanovic added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has vowed to restore Ukrainian rule over Crimea, seized and annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move not recognised by most other countries.

☆ Airline passengers missed their flight after being locked in an airport corridor for half an hour: 'It felt like we were being held hostage'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Several Ryanair passengers missed their flight on Monday after they were locked in a corridor. A Ryanair spokesperson said "human error" had led "regrettably" led to the incident. A spokesperson for Ryanair told Insider that a "human error" had led to the passengers being unable to "exit the pre-boarding area doors" and "regrettably" missing the flight. "People were banging on the walls calling for help," Raval told MyLondon. "Ryanair provided affected passengers with overnight accommodation and moved them onto the next available flight," it added.

☆ Historic new year for Croatia as it joins euro, Schengen area
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A police member stands guard while the border opens as Croatia enters the EU's control-free Schengen area, in Bregana, Croatia, January 1, 2023. "Today Croatia joins the Schengen Area and the eurozone, two immense achievements for the youngest member state of the European Union and both reached on the very same day. Plenkovic and von der Leyen later toured the capital Zagreb where they bought coffee in a cafe using euros, which replaced Croatia's kuna currency. After a server brought their coffees to an outdoor table, Plenkovic paid with a handful of euro notes, while von der Leyen, seated next to him, applauded. It becomes the 27th country to join the Schengen area, and the 20th to adopt the euro currency.

☆ Zelenskyy's risky 10-hour visit to Washington was in the works for months, and the secret journey was carefully coordinated with the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Zelenskyy's historic, risky 10-hour visit to Washington was months in the making. Pelosi held discussions on the trip with the top Ukrainian lawmaker as far back as October, AP reported. Along these lines, the White House did not announce Zelenskyy's visit until 1 am on Wednesday, though reports of the trip first emerged Tuesday. By coming to Washington, Zelenskyy was able to make a direct appeal to lawmakers and Americans for more help. December 22, 2022 — Update: This article was updated to state that Zelenskyy was accompanied by the US ambassador to Ukraine.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walk down the Colonnade to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. The planning for Zelenskiy's speech began in October, according to a Pelosi aide, when she met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. Zelenskiy, Fried said, "didn’t go to Berlin, Brussels, London or Paris" for his first trip abroad since the start of the war. The optics of Zelenskiy receiving a hero's welcome as a defender of democracy carries a message far deeper than military aid. In a Senate speech he described Zelenskiy as "a leader who is fighting for his life, fighting for his country's survival and fighting to preserve the very idea of democracy."

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