Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky met at the White House. – We will use all funds allocated by Congress to help Ukraine until the end of my term – announced the American president. He added that these actions are intended to ensure that Ukraine wins the war.
During a meeting in the Oval Office Joe Biden stated that he was on the way to securing victory Ukraine sees “two key elements”. – First, we now need to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield, which is why today I am proud to announce a new aid package worth $2.4 billion. I also recommended it Pentagon apportioning and allocating all remaining military aid funds that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine by the end of my term on January 20, which will strengthen Ukraine's position in future negotiations, Biden said.
He added that the second part of the plan is to provide long-term support for Ukraine through bilateral security agreements and economic assistance, including in the form of a PLN 50 billion loan repaid from future profits generated by frozen Russian assets.
Zelensky: thank you for your help, it gives us hope
Zelensky, in turn, announced that he would discuss the “victory plan” prepared by him with Biden, discussing details, coordination of positions and how to further strengthen Ukrainian plans. – Thank you for your strong support for decisions that are intended to protect Ukraine and Ukrainians and give us hope. We are grateful that Ukraine and United States they have stood shoulder to shoulder since the first moments of this terrible Russian invasion, he told Biden.
Zelensky: thank you for your help, it gives us hopeTVN24
Immediately after the meeting with Biden, Zelensky will also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, with whom he is expected to deliver a joint statement.
Zelensky's meetings with senators and congressmen
Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky met with groups of U.S. senators and congressmen from both parties on Thursday, presenting them his “victory plan” and seeking further support. According to the meeting participants, the talks did not concern Republicans' accusations of Zelensky's interference in the American elections.
The Ukrainian president first met with a group of a dozen senators, including party leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, and later with a wider group of congressmen. The latter group included Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, but it did not include House Speaker and ranking Republican Mike Johnson.
The largest aid package ever
On Wednesday, Congress passed an interim budget. Contrary to Ukrainians' demands, the document did not include an extension of the president's powers to donate military equipment to Ukraine in the remaining amount of $5.5 billion, which expire at the end of the month. Therefore, the White House announced on Thursday morning the largest military aid package for Ukraine to date, using all available and unused funds under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) mechanism.
According to the White House, $2.4 billion is to be allocated to purchase weapons for Ukraine, and in addition, by the end of Biden's presidency, the Pentagon is to transfer weapons worth $5.5 billion to Ukraine from its own resources.
President Biden announced that, among other things, Ukraine will receive: a renovated Patriot system battery, as well as JSOW air-to-ground missiles with a range of up to 130 km.
Main photo source: ALEXANDER DRAGO/EPA/PAP