Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington on Wednesday to receive a $45 billion Christmas gift, The American Conservative writes.

"Zelensky’s trip to the American capital was the Ukrainian president’s first foreign trip since the Russian invasion began nearly ten months ago. He arrived in Washington, half a world away from the battlefield, sporting his trademark green military fatigues and combat boots instead of a suit—a perfect encapsulation of the self-righteous melodrama that has defined Ukraine and its backers since the beginning of the conflict. Zelensky is an actor and comedian. He knows how to say the line, do the bits, and put on a show. That much hasn’t changed. The agenda for the brief trip included a meeting with President Joe Biden, followed by a joint press conference at the White House.

During Zelensky and Biden’s meeting, Biden announced that Ukraine will receive $1.85 billion worth of military equipment and ammunition, which Biden said, “includes both direct transfers of equipment to Ukraine… as well as contracts to supply ammunition Ukraine will need in the months ahead for its artillery, its tanks, and its rocket launchers.”

“Critically, in addition to these new capabilities, like precision aerial munitions, the package will include a Patriot missile battery,” the president said. It marked a serious escalation in the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine. Up until yesterday, the U.S. was reluctant to give Ukraine a Patriot missile system because it would require either U.S. operators to use or Ukrainian operators go through intense training. “We’ll train Ukrainian forces to operate as part of the ongoing effort to bolster Ukraine’s air defense,” the president claimed, but did not provide further details on whether this training will happen in Ukraine, the U.S., or a third country. With the announcement of the Patriot missile system, the U.S. is coming awfully close to openly admitting it has operators on the ground in Ukraine, which it almost certainly already does.

Biden assured Zelensky, “the American people are with you every step of the way.” He might mean it quite literally. “And we will stay as long as it takes,” the president added. The forever war of liberal democracy didn’t end with Afghanistan. It merely changed fronts.

From there, Zelensky made his way to the Hill, where he addressed a joint session of Congress as lawmakers consider a $1.7 trillion omnibus package that would allocate $45 billion in military and economic aid for Ukraine.

The $1.7 trillion omnibus, which allocates $858 billion for military spending and another $772 billion for domestic programs through the end of the current fiscal year next September, is the result of negotiations between Senate leadership of both parties. Senate Democrats needed to ensure enough Republican support to escape the filibuster. The typical Republican concerns about government spending levels forced Democrats to concede spending increases on domestic programs such as health and education, as well as more Covid-19 emergency funding and a debt-cap raise before next year’s deadline.

The total U.S. commitment to Ukraine will surpass $100 billion over the last ten months if Congress passes the omnibus package. Like the recent NDAA negotiations, the $45 billion negotiated by Congress is more aid for Ukraine than the White House asked for. The White House’s number was still a staggering $37.7 billion.

And Zelensky’s address to Congress was the ultimate whipping tool. Pelosi begged members of Congress who have stayed home thanks to proxy voting and Zoom hearings to actually show their faces. Regime journalists looked for members who refused to applaud Zelensky, and posted their pictures on social media to try and shame them into voting for the omnibus and Ukraine aid. The whole production sought to prey on the sympathy of weak members. If you don’t support $1.7 trillion in government spending, Ukrainian blood is on your hands. Not much was said about how the Ukrainian aid, or the omnibus writ large, will actually improve the lives of everyday Americans.

Zelensky wasn’t afraid to go along with Congressional leadership’s pressure campaign. “Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way,” the Ukrainian president said. But, as Fox News’ Tucker Carlson said on air Wednesday night, “Really, what are the returns on that?” One can almost hear the military-industrial complex reply, “high.”

With no clear American interest in the conflict, U.S. aid to Ukraine is charity. Zelensky would be wise to remember it. Zelensky’s entire government would be insolvent without U.S. taxpayer dollars. Yet he offered a half-hearted thank you and made more demands, and our politicians stood and applauded with glazed looks on their faces."