Ukrainian President Zelensky has arrived in the United States to present a “victory plan” to US President Biden. Presidential candidates Trump and Harris are also expected to be briefed on the plans.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the United States for a visit that could be decisive for the further conduct of the war. The head of state announced his arrival on social media and also announced that he wanted to put “the plan for Ukrainian victory on the table” with US President Joe Biden and other allies.
“We have arrived in the United States of America,” said Zelensky. His US trip began with a visit to an ammunition factory in the state of Pennsylvania, where the 155 mm artillery shells that are important for Ukraine are manufactured. Further stops in the coming days are New York and Washington, where the Ukrainian president is due to meet his counterpart Biden in the White House.
US Congress to be informed of plans
“Ukraine will present its victory plan in the United States – and the President of the United States will be the first to see it in full,” Zelensky said in a video filmed on the plane. He also wants to present the plan to “all heads of state and government of our partner countries” as well as to the US Congress and the two US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
“This autumn will decide what will happen next in this war,” Zelensky continued. “It will now be decided what the legacy of the current generation of heads of state will be.”
Western weapons against Russian targets
During his talks in the US, the Ukrainian president is expected to press again for the Ukrainian army to be allowed to use weapons supplied by the West to attack targets deep inside Russian territory. So far, this has been denied by the US and most other supporting countries.
The government in Kiev is convinced that the use of Western weapons against targets on Russian territory could significantly influence the course of the war in Ukraine’s favor more than two and a half years after the start of Russia’s attack on its neighboring country. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow would view this as NATO countries entering the war.
Meeting with Chancellor Scholz in New York
Before his meeting with Biden in Washington, Zelenskyj will travel to New York. There he will meet, among others, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Monday. On Tuesday, the UN General Debate will begin in the US metropolis, with more than 130 heads of state and government expected to attend.
