Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, September 26. Following the meeting, she stated, “I will continue to stand with Ukraine, and I will work to ensure Ukraine emerges victorious in this war.”
NBC News reported on Thursday that Harris referred to Ukraine’s war against Russia as a battle to defend American values. She said, “The American people understand the meaning of freedom, independence, and the importance of the rule of law. These ideals are at the core of who we are as Americans.”
She further mentioned, “If we allow aggressors like Putin to indiscriminately seize land, they will continue their advance, with Putin possibly turning his sights towards Poland, Baltic states, and other NATO allies… America cannot and should not isolate itself from the rest of the world.” She indirectly criticized former President Trump.
After the meeting, Zelenskyy stated, “We must end this war; we need a just peace. We must protect our people, Ukrainian families, Ukrainian children, and everyone from Putin’s evil. We are grateful for the continued support of the United States for Ukraine.”
According to The Hill, Zelenskyy said to bipartisan senators in the U.S. Congress on Thursday that if the Biden administration could expedite the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and give the green light for deep missile strikes into Russia, he would bring Russia to the negotiating table next year.
Zelenskyy held a 90-minute meeting with the senators, expressing his need for more F-16 fighters and long-range missiles capable of reaching over 100 miles into Russian territory. Deep strikes into Russia could swiftly end the war and perhaps avoid another significant military aid package beyond the $61 billion in aid approved by the U.S. Congress in April.
Republican Senator John Hoeven said, “I believe this is the real outcome.”
Following his meeting with Zelenskyy, Texas Senator John Cornyn told reporters, “While Congress has taken action, the government has refused to follow through on delivering the weapons that Congress has funded for purchase.”
He added, “If we fail to provide weapons to the Ukrainians and restrict their use of weapons against Russia’s reserves, energy resources, etc., this war will continue for longer. If we empower them, allow them to use the weapons in their way, and deliver the weapons promptly, I believe there is a better chance for Zelenskyy’s vision of resolving this war at the negotiation table.”
NBC News reported on Thursday that Trump announced he would meet with Zelenskyy tomorrow morning at the Trump Tower in New York.