Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is on his way to Washington, where he will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
It is his first foreign trip since Russia invaded in February.
The White House has also confirmed the trip and said it will supply Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery, significantly increasing the country's air defence capability.
Mr Zelensky will also address Congress and hold a number of meetings.
"On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Zelensky regularly hosts foreign leaders in the capital, Kyiv, and has visited troops around Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has also spoken frequently to world leaders over the telephone and by video call - often from his office in Kyiv.
But the surprise visit to a foreign country marks a first since the war began and also signals the importance of Ukraine's relationship with the US, which has played a leading role in providing military support.
Comments