Everything We Know About Zelensky's Secret Route to and From the U.S.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a historic visit to the United States Wednesday afternoon ahead of an expected congressional vote to approve approximately $45 billion in additional aid as his country's war with Russia shows no end in sight.

The purpose of his visit was clear. How he got to the U.S., however, is not.

While Zelensky has made visits to the front lines within his own country—including a recent visit to the Bakhmut battlefield—his trips outside of the country have been curtailed because he remains a high-profile target for assassination by Russia and its allies.

In fact, Zelensky has not left the country since the war began last February, both in a show of national solidarity and as a reflection of the realities on the ground in Eastern Europe.

For most Ukrainians, air travel in and out of the country has been suspended, with the only routes in and out of the country limited to the ground. And even then, travel in and out is considered dangerous. Entry is restricted to checkpoints on the country's borders with the friendly countries of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.

Zelensky, who closely guards his exact location at all times, is usually based in the capital city of Kyiv, which is approximately 315 miles by road from the Polish border.

While it is unclear where he departed from on Wednesday, Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet, reported earlier in the day that he traveled by train to Poland before boarding a transcontinental flight to Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington, D.C. The largest airport close to Kyiv is in the city of Lublin, Poland, which has rail service to Kyiv as well as direct commercial flights to London.

"A bit nervous. First time since the beginning of the war my President goes for a trip not by train," Alexander Kamyshin, the CEO of the country's state-owned rail system, wrote on Twitter. "Actually by train, but also not by train. Forgot the name for that transport vehicle that flies. Nervous."

Following a day of meetings with top members of the House and Senate, Zelensky is expected to speak to a joint meeting of Congress Wednesday night. Meanwhile, lawmakers are debating a nearly $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package that—among numerous concerns for some legislators—contains billions in new aid for Ukraine.

Afterward, Zelensky is likely to remain in residence at Blair House, a four-story brick structure across from the White House and approximately a 15-minute drive from the U.S. Capitol. Assuming all goes as expected, Zelensky is expected to depart Joint Base Andrews—about 14 miles southeast of Blair House—sometime on Thursday.