Zelenskyy poised to meet with Biden, Harris and Trump next week
Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to be among just a small handful of global political leaders to meet with both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump next week as dignitaries travel to the United States for a series of global-themed events amid the ongoing American presidential election.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday and has said in recent days he is eager to share details of his “Victory Plan” with President Biden, Harris and Trump.
Mr. Biden is also set to address the annual meeting of the world body on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy on Thursday at the White House, in what could be his last visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before Mr. Biden leaves office. The Ukrainian leader will hold a separate meeting with Harris, the White House said. Maintaining U.S. assistance for Ukraine, especially during the upcoming presidential transition, remains a top concern for the White House amid an ongoing shift in focus for the war with Russia.
“The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” White House press secretary Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The president and vice president will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war.”
Trump said Wednesday he expects to meet with Zelenskyy next week, but exactly where and when is not yet clear.
The meetings come as Ukraine has pushed U.S. officials and NATO allies to lift restrictions on Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets in Russian territory. Zelenskyy discussed the matter with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a meeting last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the firing of long-range missiles into Russia would represent a major escalation of NATO’s involvement in the war, which has dragged on for two and a half years.
The Biden administration is preparing another “substantial package” of military aid for delivery to Ukraine by the end of September, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told a European security conference last weekend.
“Our job is to put Ukraine in a strong position on the battlefield so that they are in a strong position at the negotiating table,” Sullivan said via video-link to the annual Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv. He said the goal of the next Biden-Zelenskyy meeting is “a conversation that puts all of the pieces together.”
The next week is heavy on foreign policy for Mr. Biden. Over the weekend, he will host the Quad Leaders Summit — composed of the leaders of Australia, India and Japan — at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. That summit will focus on their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Trump said Tuesday he is also planning to see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week, another leader the former president first met with during his first term. On Tuesday, Trump called Modi “fantastic” but faulted India for being a “very big abuser” of the U.S.-India trade relationship.
Modi might be the only other world leader to see both Trump and Harris, who is also expected to attend part of the Quad summit. The vice president’s office didn’t immediately return requests for comment about her potential attendance. A Modi-Harris engagement would be especially symbolic given that Harris is the first American presidential candidate of Indian descent and Modi is a revered figure by many Indian Americans.
