The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington was finally confirmed on Sunday, just three days ago, the visit was first discussed during a telephone conversation between the US and Ukrainian leaders on December 11, the White House reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed President Zelensky's visit to Washington during a December 11 call, a senior White House official said. The White House officially invited President Zelensky to come on December 21 last Wednesday, December 14.

"And in doing so, indicated that we wanted to host him for a program here at the White House that would involve an extended sit-down with President Biden, a meeting with key members of President Biden’s national security team and Cabinet, an opportunity to address the press, and then an opportunity to go up to Capitol Hill to do a joint session of Congress.," the White House said.

According to the official, the Ukrainian side, the Office of President Zelensky, officially accepted the invitation last Friday.

"The visit was finally confirmed on Sunday, just three days ago," he said.

The White House said President Biden would first receive President Zelensky at the White House for bilateral meetings. Then there will be a press conference and an opportunity to address members of the public, after which President Zelensky will address a joint session of Congress.

"And then President Zelensky will return, after just a few short hours on the ground, to his people in Ukraine," the official said.

He also said "we had the opportunity to consult closely with President Zelenskyy on the security parameters of him being able to depart the country, come to the United States for a brief period, and return."

"Of course, it ultimately was his decision to make," the official said.

The White House said "with respect to the first question, of course there's no mathematical formula for the right day for President Zelenskyy to make his first trip out of the country," but in his conversation with President Biden, they both agreed that this is an opportunity for them to sit down together. Also for President Zelensky, the opportunity to come to the United States to thank the American people for their incredible support and to thank for their bipartisan support would be an important boost.

The White House said President Zelensky has made it clear that he is very interested, very eager to make his first visit to the United States to be able to address the American people.

Earlier, Zelensky said he went to the United States to strengthen the stability and defense capability of Ukraine.

"In particular, we will discuss cooperation between Ukraine and the United States with Joe Biden. I will also speak in Congress and hold a number of bilateral meetings," he wrote on Twitter.

This is the first visit of the President of Ukraine abroad since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.