©  Greg Nash

President Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using “winter as a weapon” in its ongoing war against Ukraine as Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Wednesday.

“I’m delighted you were able to make the trip and be here. And, you know, it’s an honor to be by your side,” Biden said to Zelensky at their meeting.

He added that Putin is “escalating his assaults on civilians” and trying to “use winter as a weapon” by attacking power sources.

Russia’s war with Ukraine is now stretching into its 10th month. The United States trip was Zelensky's first time leaving the country since the February invasion.

Biden also announced ahead of Zelensky’s visit that the U.S. is providing an additional $2 billion in assistance aimed to help Ukraine defend against Russian aerial onslaughts that are targeting its energy and electricity infrastructure. 

Another $45 billion in humanitarian and security assistance has been tucked into a yet-to-be-passed $1.7 trillion omnibus bill that lawmakers are working to pass by the end of the week.

Zelensky is set to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Read more here.

More from The Hill:

• Here’s how to watch Zelensky’s address to Congress tonight

Welcome to The Hill's Evening Report, catching you up on news from the afternoon and looking at the big stories likely to impact tomorrow.

The United States for the first time will send a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine as part of a major $1.85 billion weapons package, the Pentagon revealed Wednesday. 

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Nursing homes in California located in higher-risk wildfire exposure zones tend to be less prepared for emergencies than facilities without such risk, a new study has found.

Faculty at Purdue University Northwest are asking that Chancellor Thomas Keon resign because of remarks he made at a commencement speech that mocked Asian languages. 

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"Self-confident nations acknowledge their failures and try to learn from them. That’s why we need halls of infamy," writes author Gregory J. Wallance, a former federal prosecutor and writer in New York City.

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