Biden, Harris to host Zelensky at White House next week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House next week and meet with both President Biden and Vice President Harris to discuss the state of the war against Russia.

Zelensky will be at the White House on Thursday, Sept. 26, when White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said he would meet separately with Biden and Harris, who is the Democratic nominee for president.

“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,” 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.”

The Biden administration has made its support for Ukraine, and its push for allies to back Kyiv in its war against Russia, central to its foreign policy. The U.S. has provided weapons and financial support for Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in early 2022.

The administration has requested Congress include an extension of the presidential drawdown authority for sending weapons to Ukraine through 2025, to make approximately $5.8 billion available beyond Sept. 30, which is the end of the current fiscal year.

Harris has vowed continued support for Ukraine if she is elected in November. She has met in person with Zelensky multiple times as vice president. Both Harris and Biden have warned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could lead to a wider conflict in Europe.

Former President Trump has claimed without offering evidence that he would be able to end the Russia-Ukraine war before he is sworn in if he wins in November. Trump refused multiple times during last week’s presidential debate to say whether it’s in the U.S.’s interest for Ukraine to win the war.

“I think it’s in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. All right. Negotiate a deal,” Trump said.

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