Zelenskyy presents 'victory plan' to Biden

The two presidents, Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussed diplomatic, economic and military aspects of the Ukrainian leader's plan, the White House said.

US President Joe Biden meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC / Photo: AFP
AFP

US President Joe Biden meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC / Photo: AFP

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have met to discuss US support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia.

The meeting on Thursday at the White House came after the US announced a new package of weapons and nearly $8 billion in aid for Ukraine.

Biden "outlined his decision to surge US security assistance to Ukraine, and President Zelenskyy presented his plan to achieve victory over Russia," the White House said in a statement.

The leaders also discussed the diplomatic, economic and military aspects of Zelenskyy's plan and tasked their teams to engage in intensive consultations regarding next steps, it added.

They agreed to meet on October 12 in Germany, where Biden will host a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

After meeting with Biden, Zelenskyy also met separately with Vice President Kamala Harris, who voiced her "unwavering" support for Ukraine.

Earlier, Zelenskyy met with US Congress members at Capitol Hill to discuss key points of his plan for the war with Russia.

The plan, whose specifics have not yet been made public, includes the security guarantee of NATO membership, according to Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.

Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Donald Trump said he would meet Zelenskyy on Friday, having criticised him on the US campaign trail and expressed doubts about Ukraine's ability to win its war with Russia.

During a press conference on Thursday, Trump repeated his claims that he could rapidly negotiate a deal between Russia and Ukraine if he defeats Harris.

"President Zelenskyy has asked to meet with me, and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning at around 9:45 in Trump Tower" in New York, Trump said.

Asked by a reporter if Ukraine might have to give up any of its territory to reach a peace deal with Moscow — a non-starter for Kiev — Trump did not rule it out.

"We'll see what happens," he said.

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