WASHINGTON – It was supposed to be a special occasion, an event that would symbolize and strengthen the bond between the United States and Ukraine.
Back in early July, U.S. House members representing the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus were hoping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would address both chambers of Congress during a trip that was expected later in the summer and would also take him to the White House.
Mr. Zelenskyy, a former comic with no political experience, had easily defeated incumbent Petro Poroshenko in an April runoff, after a campaign centered on pledges to curb corruption and end the five-year war against Moscow-backed militants in eastern Ukraine.