Zelenskyy, in Washington, 'hopes' he can count on US

Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a military audience on Monday that he hoped to still count on the United States as he started a critical visit to Washington amid questions over future US military assistance.

"We won't give up. We know what to do and you can count on Ukraine and we hope just as much to be able to count on you," Zelenskyy said in an address to the National Defense University.

US President Joe Biden's administration has warned Congress that a failure to renew military assistance to Ukraine could tip the war in Russia's favor, creating national security threats for the West.

Biden's Democratic allies in Congress are trying to win approval of about $50 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine but lawmakers are scheduled to go into recess for the year by Friday.