Ukraine's First Lady Declines Invitation to State of the Union Address

Ukraine's First Lady Declines Invitation to State of the Union Address
Image copyright: Drew Angerer/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Despite underlying suggestions in the Washington Post's reporting, first lady Olena Zelenska will not be attending the State of the Union address because of scheduling conflicts, including a pre-planned visit to an orphanage in Kyiv. Solidarity and diplomacy between Ukraine and America is as strong as ever.

Establishment-critical narrative

Sources with knowledge of the planning said the declined invitation came because Zelenska didn't want to be seated near Yulia Navalnaya. Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also didn't want to appear too close to US Pres. Biden at a time when he's dependant on Republicans to approve further aid. This awkward public mishap underlines ongoing pressures in the relationship between Ukraine and the US.

Metaculus Prediction



Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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