Zelenskaya declines Biden's invitation to avoid sitting next to Navalnaya: Washington Post

According to the Washington Post, Elena Zelenskaya, the wife of the President of Ukraine, has declined an invitation from the White House to attend a meeting of the US Congress, where President Joe Biden will deliver his annual address to the nation on March 7.

The publication, citing an informed source, claims that Elena Zelenskaya was supposed to be seated next to US First Lady Jill Biden, along with Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in a polar colony.

The US administration aimed to show clear support for two symbols of resistance to the Russian regime, whether it be the Russian opposition or the Ukrainian authorities fighting against Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

However, as per the publication, the Ukrainian side rejected this proposal.

Navalny, who opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, previously supported the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Despite retracting his statements later on, many in Ukraine still viewed him as a Russian imperialist.

In response to the publication, the White House stated that the First Lady of Ukraine had another event scheduled for the same time.

Additionally, Yulia Navalnaya will also be absent from the meeting. "Yulia’s husband died just two weeks ago. Like anyone else, she needs time to come to her senses," stated Navalny’s press secretary Kira Yarmysh.