Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin will hold an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board; by that time, the Ukrainian president will make his first abroad visit to the United States.

The meeting, which will be held at the National Defence Control Centre, will review the Russian Armed Forces’ performance in 2022 and set objectives for 2023.

According to the Kremlin statement, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will deliver a keynote report. He will report on the progress of the special military operation, the number of weapons and amount of military equipment provided to the troops in the outgoing year, the construction of military infrastructure, the results of the Ministry’s international activities, and the social protection of military personnel.

The expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board will be attended by commanders of military districts, arms, and services, heads of central military administration bodies, and representatives of federal executive authorities.

About 15,000 officials of the Russian Armed Forces will join the meeting via videoconference. It added.

According to three AP sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to visit Washington on Wednesday in his first known trip outside the country since Russia’s invasion began in February.

They said Zelensky’s visit, while expected, could still be called off at the last minute due to security concerns.

The visit to Washington is set to include an address to Congress on Capitol Hill and a meeting with President Joe Biden.

Biden and Zelensky frequently have held phone calls in coordination with the White House announcing new tranches of military assistance for Ukraine. The calls have been mostly warm, with Biden praising Ukraine for remaining steadfast against the Russians and Zelensky thanking the US president for support.