Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on September 26th. The purpose of the meeting is for Zelenskyy to present his “victory plan,” which outlines his proposed solution to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy has been generating anticipation for the release of his victory plan, as the conflict has been ongoing for over two and a half years. While he hasn’t revealed many details about the plan, he mentioned during a press conference on September 20th that it relies on support from Washington and will require quick decisions from the United States and other Western nations that have backed Ukraine throughout the war.
One potential aspect of Zelenskyy’s victory plan is seeking permission from partner nations, including the United States, to allow Ukrainian forces to conduct long-range strikes inside Russian territory using donated Western weapons systems. Additionally, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff confirmed that NATO membership security guarantees are included in the plan—a demand from Kyiv that Moscow opposes and some Western allies view skeptically.
Zelenskyy’s upcoming meeting with Biden and Harris is part of his broader visit to rally international support in the United States. He recently addressed both the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and calling for international backing of Kyiv’s preferred peace terms.
In preparation for their discussion on Zelenskyy’s plan, Biden hosted a gathering on September 25th with Zelenskyy and other world leaders to announce efforts supporting Ukrainian reconstruction. The president stated that this initiative would utilize Russian assets seized by various countries since 2022 until Russia ceases its aggression against Ukraine.
While Zelenskyy intends to present his proposal to former President Donald Trump as well, there may be less enthusiasm from Trump compared to the current administration. Trump has emphasized negotiating an expedient end to the conflict rather than continuing arms flow or funding for Ukraine.
Some Republicans have raised concerns about Zelenskyy’s activities during his visit within America this week. They criticized him for appearing alongside Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro while touring an ammunition factory in Pennsylvania without inviting any Republicans—an act they deemed partisan election interference.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced an investigation into whether there was any facilitation by Biden-Harris administration regarding Zelenksy’s visit in Pennsylvania as well as flying him around using military aircraft potentially benefiting Harris’ political campaign.
