During his visit to the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in addition to outlining a victory plan that the White House is going to study in depth in the coming weeks, promoted the use of long-range missiles, The Wall Street Journal reports, UNN writes.
Details
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that in a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Zelenskiy described the "general outlines" of a victory plan, which the U.S. president then instructed the national security team to "explore a little bit more deeply" in the coming weeks. Kirby declined to provide details, but said it includes steps to help end the war and prevent any future Russian aggression.
White House confirms that Zelenskyy presented Biden with a victory plan27.09.24, 08:41
This is Zelenskiy's fifth visit to Washington since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and in addition to the White House, he held a series of meetings at the Capitol. "The Capitol was largely empty on Thursday as most lawmakers boarded planes earlier in the day to head home for the last recess before Election Day," the newspaper writes.
Nevertheless, the newspaper notes, about 20 senators from both parties met with Zelenskiy, who was accompanied by Senate leaders Chuck Schumer (Democrat) and Mitch McConnell (Republican), both wearing ties in blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Zelenskiy also met with more than a dozen Republican and Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives, the newspaper noted.
As stated, the visit provided Zelenskyy with a platform "to thank the United States for its continued support and to try to smooth out tensions with Republicans ahead of the November elections, the outcome of which could determine the course of future aid.
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told lawmakers that his top priority is to get U.S. permission to fire long-range missiles to hit military targets in Russia, as he held a series of meetings at the White House and Capitol, outlining his plan to turn the tide of the war," the article says.
According to the newspaper, "Biden refused to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles against Russia, despite open calls from Kyiv and European allies, as well as members of Congress, to do so." The administration argues that such a move could exacerbate the conflict with Russia, the newspaper writes.
"He asked for one thing: 'Let me use my guns to the best of my ability,'" said Senator Lindsey Graham (R).
Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, called Biden's criticism of caution "overheated.
Biden to hold next Ramstein in Germany on October 12 - White House27.09.24, 08:45