As part of his working visit to the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a meeting with U.S. President Joseph Biden.
“I’m really glad to be here at the White House today to share some very important messages. I am grateful for the invitation. I’d like to thank America and our partners for their support,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said before the meeting with the President of the United States at the White House.
He also noted that today is a special day for Ukraine, the Day of the Ground Forces, in which almost 600,000 very brave Ukrainians serve, proving every day that they are capable of winning.
“Our forces are advancing. And we’ve successfully defeated Russia in the Black Sea. Russia is hiding the remnants of its naval fleet in remote bays. Meanwhile, Ukraine has set up an export corridor in the Black Sea that’s really boosting our economy and global food stability,” the President of Ukraine noted.
The Head of State also noted that the Ukrainian economy is growing by almost 5%, so Ukraine is gradually becoming less dependent on foreign aid.
“We are moving in the right direction. I want to discuss with President Biden how to strengthen it. Especially, enhancing our air defense and ability to destroy Russia’s logistics. Our goals for 2024 are clear – take away Russia’s air superiority and disrupt their offensive operations. I think it is real,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
In addition, according to him, the priority issues of the meeting with the U.S. President include joint arms production and the use of frozen Russian assets.
“In September, President Biden and I talked about joint arms production, which is very important for us. Today, we’ll discuss how to speed this up. We also need to work faster with the frozen Russian assets – over 300 billion from terrorists. We should use it to protect against Russian terror. I want to talk about some details,” the Head of State noted.
He also emphasized that even during the war, Ukraine continues to successfully reform its institutions to integrate into the European Union.
“People need to be confident that freedom is secure and strong enough to win,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
For his part, the U.S. President emphasized that the decisions made now will determine the future for decades to come, particularly in Europe.
"We have seen what happens when dictators are not punished for the deaths and destruction they cause. They keep going. The threat to America, Europe and the world keeps rising," he said.
Joseph Biden emphasized the importance of the U.S. Congress passing a decision on funding for Ukraine before the congressmen break for the holiday recess.
“I just signed another $200 million drawdown for the Department of Defense for Ukraine,” he said.
“Mr. President, I call on Congress to do the right thing, to stand with Ukraine, and to stand up for freedom. I want to thank you for being here to help the cause. And I don’t want you giving up hope,” Joseph Biden added.
