WASHINGTON, D.C.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday directly appealed for long-term United States support on his first foreign trip since Russia invaded his country, saying aid was not 'charity' and had helped keep Ukraine 'alive and kicking.'

Three hundred days after Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his troops attacked Ukraine with hopes of swift conquest, Zelenskyy enjoyed a hero's welcome on a lightning trip to Washington, where President Joe Biden committed nearly $1.8 billion in military supplies including, for the first time, the Patriot missile defense system.