Earlier, the two leaders met for two-hour talks at the Oval Office, discussing further US security assistance to Ukraine and ways to achieve “a just peace,” news outlets reported.
At the joint briefing, Biden told Zelensky that “you’ll never stand alone,” as Ukraine seeks to obtain more military aid to defend itself against Russia.
Biden said: “We understand in our bones that Ukraine’s fight is part of something much bigger. The American people know that if we stand by in the face of such blatant attacks on liberty and democracy, and the core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the world would surely face worse consequences."
The White House has provided the government in Kyiv with some USD 50 billion in assistance as Ukraine defends itself against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, the Reuters news agency reported.
Just before Zelensky’s arrival, Washington unveiled a further USD 1.85 billion in aid.
This latest package includes, for the first time, the advanced Patriot air defence missiles to help Ukraine protect itself against Russia’s devastating rocket and drone attacks on power plants and other critical infrastructure, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported on its website.
Zelensky said at the White House news conference that he had come to Washington to thank the United States for its “crucial military assistance,” as well as to ask for more, according to news outlets.
He said that receiving a battery of the Patriot air defence system represented “an important step in creating an effective air shield for Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian president also appealed to Congress to approve USD 45 billion in military aid for next year, arguing that it was in America’s interests to support his country.
He told reporters: “Every dollar of this investment for the United States is going to strengthen global security. Regardless of the changes in the Congress, I believe that there will be bipartisan and bicameral support.”
Zelensky was then asked by a Ukrainian reporter what “a just peace” might look like.
He replied, as quoted by The Guardian: “For me as a president, a just peace is no compromises as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of my country. And payback for all the damages inflicted by Russian aggression."
Zelensky added: “I would like to emphasise how many parents lost their sons and daughters on the frontlines. So, what is just peace for them? Money is nothing and those compensations or reparations are of no consequence. They live by revenge.”
He warned: “I think this is a tremendous tragedy and the longer the war lasts, the longer this aggression lasts, there will be more parents who live for the sake of vengeance.”
Meanwhile, Biden said there was an easy way for the war to be brought to an end, but he did not expect that to happen soon.
The US president stated: “We both want this war to end. It could end today if Putin had any dignity at all and did the right thing and pulled out. But that’s not going to happen. It’s not gonna happen now.”
Biden added: “So what comes next? What we talked about today was we’re going to continue to help Ukraine succeed on the battlefield."
Zelensky’s visit to America on Wednesday, during which he was also due to address the US Congress, was his first known foreign trip since Russia invaded his country more than 300 days ago, news outlets reported.
Thursday is day 302 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters, The Guardian, president.gov.ua, CNN