Zelensky Visits Biden to Present 'Victory Plan' Against Russia

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, is traveling to Washington next week to present a 'victory plan' aimed at persuading his American counterpart, Joe Biden, to authorize the use of Western long-range weapons deep into Russian territory. Ukraine has repeatedly requested permission to use Western long-range weapons to strike targets within Russia in recent months. The United States has so far refrained from granting such permission to avoid escalating tensions, but speculation about a potential policy shift has emerged in recent days. However, John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, dismissed these speculations, stating just before the meeting of U.S. and British leaders that Washington has no plans to change this policy. Following this dismissal, media reports indicated that Zelensky has asked Biden to allow Ukraine to conduct attacks on Russia using American long-range weapons, thereby 'strengthening Ukraine' and securing 'a place in history' before leaving the presidency. The U.S. claims Ukraine's plan to force Russia to end the war is 'feasible.' Zelensky stated in an interview with the Observer before his important trip to Washington that he will present the 'victory plan' to Biden to end the war. According to him, the implementation of this plan requires deep strikes with Western missiles inside Russia, which London and Washington have so far withheld permission for. Recently, Britain announced its willingness to allow Ukraine to use its Storm Shadow cruise missiles, but the White House remains skeptical about this issue. Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, also failed to resolve this issue during his private meetings with Biden last week in Washington. Zelensky confirmed that despite months of high-level lobbying, no green light has been shown on this matter, stating: 'Neither the U.S. nor the U.K. has allowed us to use this weapon on Russian territory against any target at any distance.' He criticized the insufficient supply of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Kyiv, adding that 'the reluctance of international partners can be explained by fear of escalating tensions with Moscow, an analysis that Kyiv does not agree with.' Zelensky said: 'Biden can strengthen Ukraine and make important decisions to bolster Ukraine's strength and protect its independence while he is President. I think this is a historic mission.' In addition to meeting with Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, he mentioned that he is likely to meet with Donald Trump on Thursday or Friday as well. Zelensky is set to embark on a six-day trip to the U.S. and will also speak at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During his trip, he will meet with congressional representatives and discuss his victory plan with Ms. Harris. Last Thursday, Biden referred to Zelensky as 'my friend' in a tweet, stating: 'During his visit, I will reaffirm America's commitment to support Ukraine as it defends its freedom and independence.' Last week, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, stated that missile attacks on Russia with American weapons would mean NATO's involvement in the war and would have severe consequences. Ukrainian officials have described his remarks as another example of Putin's 'meaningless bluffs' and deemed them insignificant.