Volodymyr Zelensky met with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss his “victory plan,” which the Ukrainian president hopes will pressure Russia to agree to a diplomatic end to the war.
This comes amid conflict between Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the run-up to the US presidential election in November.
Ros Atkins, BBC analysis editor, examines why Mr Zelensky chose to visit Washington now, with the US election campaign in full swing.
Produced by Michael Cox