While the White House was holding a briefing, so too was the Defense Department at the Pentagon.

The press secretary, Pat Ryder, also told reporters about an aid package for Ukraine that will be set out later today.

He said it would include "more air defence and artillery capabilities to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces",

Ryder added that the US is not concerned that Poland's decision to cut off weapons for Ukraine will put too much responsibility on the US to provide more support.

In his meeting with Zelensky, Austin reaffirmed the US desire to help Ukraine in "deterring Russian aggression" now and in the future, Ryder said..

He described the meeting as "very warm" and "very engaging" and said it was a "great conversation".

Anthony Zurcher
reporting from the White House

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is trying to project confidence from the lectern in the press briefing room, even as the outlook for US aid to Ukraine is growing increasingly murky.

Earlier this morning, Republicans in the House of Representatives once again blocked passage of a defence spending bill that would have provided modest additional military support for the war-torn nation. It is becoming increasingly likely that the US government will hit an end-of-month deadline without any new funding bills enacted for the coming fiscal year.

He contrasts the majority supporting aid in the US Congress with what he calls a “vocal, quite small minority of members raising questions”.

The Biden administration is requesting an additional $25bn in Ukraine aid before the end of the month.

If the US runs out of money to support Ukraine at the end of the month, he says, it will cause a “sliding scale of disruption” Nevertheless, he insists that Congress will ultimately agree to keep the aid spigots open “when all is said and done”.

“That doesn’t mean the road ahead is particularly straight,” he adds.

That, given the bumpy ride in Congress so far, may turn out to be a significant understatement.

It has been an going question of how the US can remain adequately armed to defend itself as it continues to spread its military resources across the globe, while geopolitical tensions flare (China and Taiwan, India and Canada).

"We think we can provide support for Ukraine and also be in a position to deter aggression elsewhere or respond to it. If it takes place. So we have confidence," Sullivan says.

"We want to see a dramatic increase in artillery ammunition production (in the US). That is underway. It will take some time."

Amid ongoing questioning and perhaps scepticism by reporters of US support for Ukraine, Sullivan says:

"The north star of this administration is if you represent a threat to the American people's security, prosperity, or basic sense of fairness, we will take action to defend that."

Image source, Getty Images

Sullivan says he was "initially concerned" when he read headlines about it this morning.

To catch you up - Poland’s PM Mateusz Morawiecki said his country would stop supplying weapons, and would work on modernising its own defence systems.

The announcement from one of Ukraine's most reliable allies could add tension to Zelensky’s talks with Biden and other US leaders, as some Republicans ratchet up pressure to end aid to the country.

Poland has continued to ban imports of Ukraine wheat in the hopes of protecting its home market, which prompted Zelensky to criticise it in remarks before the UN earlier this week.

In return, Poland summoned its Ukraine ambassador and Morawiecki said it would no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine.

Read more here

Reporters ask about Ukraine aid and how House Speaker Kevin McCarthy - and the Republican controlled House - are responding to calls for additional funding for Ukraine.

"We believe that (aid) will continue," Sullivan says.

"There will be strong bipartisan support to continue funding Ukraine."

McCarthy so far has signalled that additional aid will be a slow-moving House agenda.

Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, tells reporters that this is Zelensky's sixth in-person visit with President Biden and his third visit to the White House.

The frequency of the meetings is a reflection of the increasing dire circumstances developing in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

"This meeting comes ... just after Russia launched yet another brutal wave of airstrikes against five cities in in Ukraine that hit critical civilian infrastructure and knocked out power for many people in many different parts of the country," Sullivan says.

He adds that Biden will announce a new military aid package today to defend against renewed Russian attacks.

People are filing into the White House press room.

Karine Jean-Pierre has introduced Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, to talk about Zelensky's US visit.

You can watch live by pressing play at the top of this page.

Image source, EPA

After Zelensky's hour-long meeting with the US Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Ukrainian president delivered a stern warning:

"Mr. Zelensky said, 'If we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war.'"

Zelensky's visit to Capitol Hill comes as Ukraine's counter-offensive continues at a pace that has worried some allies, with relatively small territorial gains so far.

On Wednesday, Poland's prime minister announced his country would no longer be sending arms to Ukraine.

President Zelensky is having a busy day in Washington. He started at the US Capitol meeting lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Zelensky then crossed the river to go to the Pentagon to talk with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. The pair, along with Zelensky's wife, lay a wreath at the 9/11 memorial outside.

Up next?

Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are scheduled to visit the White House at 15:00 (19:00 GMT) and will meet with President Biden. It's the Ukrainian president's third time at the White House.

Zelensky will wrap up his Washington itinerary tonight with a speech at the National Archives in front of members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus.

Image source, Getty Images

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has joined her husband in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon 9/11 memorial.

Together, they touch the blue and yellow ribbons on the wreath and then stand back with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin while a bugle plays the traditional military song Taps.

They then receive small bouquets in their country's colours. At the end of the ceremony, the pair solemnly shake hands along a rope line near the memorial's trees before leaving with Austin.

Volodmyr Zelensky has paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks at the memorial across the road from the Pentagon.

Zelensky is now visiting the 9/11 memorial while a military band plays.

A wreath with flowers and ribbons in Ukraine's national colours of blue and yellow has been laid before the memorial, honouring the 184 people killed when a hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon 22 years ago.

Earlier, Zelensky had a highly anticipated - and high-stakes - meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

McCarthy is the leader of the Republican controlled House, the lower US chamber that has recently shown signs of wavering support for the war in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress for more than $24bn in aid for Ukraine and other international concerns, but an increasing number of Republicans have said that money is best spent domestically.

McCarthy told reporters he would not commit to putting a $24bn Ukraine aid package to a vote this year.

"Look, we've got to get our fiscal house taken care of here in America. I'm more than willing to look at that. But the one thing I know is that if the president's only focused on that, well, you've just had 10,000 people come across the border, and he wants to ignore that," McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.

Image source, Shutterstock

Image source, EPA

Volodymyr Zelensky is currently having meetings inside the Pentagon.

Soon, he will go outside and cross the street to the 9/11 memorial for a wreath laying ceremony.

Zelensky's visit comes two weeks after the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks - where the Pentagon was one of the targeted buildings.

The Ukrainian President is currently at the Pentagon building, where he was met by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

We expect him to visit the 9/11 memorial there - you can watch live by clicking on the play button above.

Image source, Getty Images

Volodymyr Zelensky's first stop this morning was at the US Capitol, where he met US lawmakers.

After briefing the Senate on Ukraine's war with Russia, Zelensky commented on how the meeting went.

"We spoke about everything - about support, about the situation on the battlefield, about our plans. ... I think we had very strong dialogue with senators," he said.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

The United States has poured more than a $100bn into Ukraine's effort to repel Russia's invasion, spending far more than any other nation.

But there is growing scepticism among the Republican party about funding the war effort.

In his speech to the UN on Tuesday, Joe Biden made a passionate plea for the global community to not turn its back on Ukraine.

"Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalise Ukraine without consequence," he said. “But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they're protected?"

For more than a year and a half, the US president has followed up that tough talk with American dollars.

Conservative members of the Republican party want those dollars to be spent on domestic programs.

Senator Josh Hawley, a leading conservative, tweeted on Wednesday night that Biden wants “to keep writing blank checks to Ukraine for years to come, no end in sight. All while they’re neglecting Americans at home. Enough,” he continued.

You may have read this headline earlier in the week when Zelensky gave an impassioned speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Addressing around 200 world leaders, he urged countries to unite to end Russian aggression against his country.

He said a nuclear-armed Moscow must be stopped from "pushing the world to the final war" and accused Russia of weaponising everything from food to energy.

He also rounded on his European neighbours for extending a ban on Ukrainian grain - a move that has prompted Poland to limit supplies of weapons and ammunition to its neighbour.

We’ll have more on that later.

Emma Owen
In Washington DC

Thanks for joining our live coverage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington DC.

He’s in the US capital to try and secure more funding to repel Russia’s invasion of his country - and will be touring a number of institutions and speaking to politicians to make his case.

This morning, he’s been speaking with lawmakers at the US Capitol, and is due at the Pentagon shortly.

Later, he’ll hold talks with US President Biden in the Oval Office at the White House.

Stick with us as we follow his movements around the city.