Zelenskyy presents 'victory plan' to Biden at White House

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Thursday to discuss US support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia.

The meeting at the White House came after the US announced a new package of weapons and nearly $8 billion in aid for Ukraine.

Biden "outlined his decision to surge US security assistance to Ukraine, and President Zelenskyy presented his plan to achieve victory over Russia," the White House said in a statement.

The leaders also discussed the diplomatic, economic and military aspects of Zelenskyy’s plan and tasked their teams to engage in intensive consultations regarding next steps, it added.

They agreed to meet on Oct. 12 in Germany, where Biden will host a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

After meeting with Biden, Zelenskyy also met separately with Vice President Kamala Harris, who voiced her "unwavering" support for Ukraine.

Earlier, Zelenskyy met with US Congress members at Capitol Hill to discuss key points of his plan for the war with Russia.

The plan, whose specifics have not yet been made public, includes the security guarantee of NATO membership, according to Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.