On the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is heading the U.S. delegation to the Summit.
The Ukrainian leader thanked U.S. President Joseph Biden and his team for the bilateral security agreement signed in Italy, as well as the U.S. Congress, both parties and chambers, for approving an assistance package for our country this April.
"Putin is trying to expand the war and make it more bloody. But together with America and all our partners, we protect the lives of our people and open up new opportunities for diplomacy," the President noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked the United States for supporting the Peace Summit and Kamala Harris for attending the event.
"Ukraine has always believed in the power of diplomacy. War is not our choice. It's Putin's choice. At the peace summit today, we will do everything we can to start moving towards real peace through diplomacy. It is indeed vital that the United States is helping to bring peace closer. Thank you," he said.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the dynamics of the supply of weapons from the announced aid packages to the battlefield, the manning of brigades, the situation on the front, particularly in the Kharkiv region, and the progress of the implementation of agreements on additional Patriot systems.
Kamala Harris emphasized that the United States would continue to defend democratic values and stand up to dictators.
"I am here in Switzerland to stand with Ukraine and leaders from around the world in support of a just and lasting peace for Ukraine," the U.S. Vice President said.
Kamala Harris also announced that the United States will provide more than $1.5 billion for the humanitarian and energy needs of Ukraine. In particular, $824 million to address the most urgent challenges in the energy sector, including infrastructure repairs; $379 million to provide food, water, shelter and other humanitarian services; and another $300 million for civilian security assistance, including law enforcement support.
