Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has landed in the United States where he will present his latest “victory plan” to President Joe Biden.
Zelenskyy began the visit by going to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where critically important munitions such as artillery shells are manufactured.
Next, Zelenskyy will go to the United Nations in New York and Washington. In addition to the meeting with Biden, he will also visit the US Congress and meet presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump – and a lot is at stake.
– This autumn will be decisive for how the war progresses. Together with our partners, we can strengthen our positions to reach peace, a common peace and a truly just peace, says Zelensky last night.
Weapons, diplomacy and justice
Several factors will be decisive for Ukraine’s fate, the president believes.
– Weapons to defend our independence and our people. Diplomacy to bring partners together and force Russia to peace. And justice so that Russia is held accountable for this war and feels its consequences, he says.
One question that will be discussed again is whether Ukraine should be allowed to use Western long-range robots against targets deep inside Russia. Biden has previously been restrictive in approving it, but Zelenskyi has been clear that it is necessary to defeat Putin.
In the past month, the Ukrainian president has begun more openly urging his allies to allow the country’s military to fire long-range missiles, such as US Atacms and British Storm Shadows, at targets in Russia.
Pressures allies
At the beginning of September, more than 50 people were killed in connection with a Russian attack on a military training facility in Poltava, after which the issue was brought up again, reports CNN.
– Every day of delay is unfortunately the death of people, he said.
Last weekend, after a Russian bomb attack on an apartment building in Kharkiv, Zelenskyi went a step further in his choice of words.
– This terror can be stopped. But to stop it, the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions must be overcome, the Ukrainian president said.
With long-range weapons, Ukraine could hit targets hundreds of kilometers into Russia.