Zelensky presents Biden with Ukrainian Cross of Military Merit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented United States President Joseph Biden with Ukraine’s state award, Cross of Military Merit, after the two leaders spoke to reporters from the White House.

Zelensky thanked Biden and the United States Congress for their support and expressed gratitude to the American people, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“Thank you so much, Mr. President. Of course thanks bipartisan support, thanks Congress, and thanks from our just ordinary people to your ordinary people, Americans. I really appreciate,” Zelensky said.

The President of Ukraine also presented Biden with a hero’s award, which he said was passed along from a captain in the Ukrainian military fighting in the Donbas.

“One guy who’s really, really a hero, real captain, and he asked me to pass his award to President Biden. He’s very brave and he said give it to very brave President, and I want to give you, that is a cross for military merit,” Zelensky told.

Biden thanked Zelensky and said that he would send the Ukrainian captain a US command coin in return.

“Undeserved but much appreciated, thank you. Well, we have a tradition here, and I will give it to him. My son who fought in Iraq, they have what they call a command coin. Have you seen those coins we get in the battlefield? I will make sure that he gets one of those. Thank you,” the President of the United States noted.

Photo: Yaroslav Dovhopol, Ukrinform

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