White House eager to hear Zelenskyy's 'victory plan,' wants to align strategic goals

The gathering betwixt President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy astatine the White House adjacent Thursday volition beryllium an accidental to "align strategical goals" for the remainder of Biden's medication – says the National Security Council's Michael Carpenter. Zelenskyy is expected to contiguous Ukraine's "victory plan" straight to Biden. VOA's Iuliia Iarmolenko asked Ambassador Carpenter what President Biden is prepared to bash to guarantee Zelenskyy's program is successful.

This interrogation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA: President Zelenskyy is coming to New York and Washington and is acceptable to contiguous Ukraine's "victory plan." Has President Biden been briefed connected the details of this plan, oregon possibly members of the administration? And should Ukraine expect afloat enactment for this program from the White House?

Michael Carpenter, elder manager for Europe, National Security Council: We're successful changeless connection with our Ukrainian partners connected each scope of issues. However, with this peculiar conversation, I recognize that President Zelenskyy wanted to travel present and little this program straight to President Biden. So no, we are not acquainted with it, but the presidents volition person a accidental to person that speech soon and besides to align their strategical goals for the remainder of this administration, which is going to beryllium precise important.

VOA: But should Ukraine expect afloat enactment of this program from the administration?

Carpenter: I don't cognize what's successful the plan, truthful I can't archer you however the absorption volition be. But, of course, President Biden is perfectly determined to enactment Ukraine and to enactment it successful the strongest imaginable presumption astatine the extremity of his word successful office. And helium has directed each of america who enactment for him to determination eden and world to guarantee that we are providing each of the … particularly the subject assistance, but besides immoderate of the near-term vigor information assistance that we person pledged. And that has been portion of the supplemental measure that was passed successful April to get that retired the doorway arsenic accelerated arsenic we perchance can. That is his acquisition to us, and we are executing connected that arsenic we speak.

VOA: And recently, the medication sent their strategy connected Ukraine to the Congress. Is determination immoderate correlation oregon coordination betwixt the Ukrainian triumph program and the administration's strategy connected Ukraine?

Carpenter: Well, again, we're eagerly anticipating President Zelenskyy's presumption of his strategical imaginativeness for victory. And, you know, erstwhile that happens, I'm definite the president volition beryllium precise funny successful each the assorted details and however they acceptable together. The military, the economic, the diplomatic. All of that is important. And truthful I deliberation it's going to beryllium a precise absorbing and substantive speech erstwhile they meet.

VOA: We tin expect that strikes wrong Russia utilizing American long-range systems volition beryllium a taxable of treatment erstwhile President Biden and President Zelenskyy conscionable astatine the White House? Are determination immoderate movements towards lifting the restriction?

Carpenter: I don't person immoderate announcements to marque for you. What I volition accidental is that we person a fig of efforts underway to springiness Ukraine an vantage successful presumption of however they are capable to prosecute targets from which Russia is firing astatine Ukrainian positions and Ukrainian cities and inflicting harm connected Ukrainian infrastructure. And truthful we volition proceed that conversation. Obviously, immoderate of that we tin speech astir successful public, but different elements of it are champion near successful private.

VOA: But determination are immoderate progressive discussions of the taxable …

Carpenter: There are precise progressive discussions connected this. And successful fact, we justice that Ukraine needs to person long-range capabilities that it tin employ. In fact, Ukraine does person immoderate indigenous long-range capabilities of its ain that it has utilized highly effectively. I would punctual you that determination was a onslaught that the Ukrainian equipped forces carried retired precocious adjacent the Russian-Belarusian borderline that was precise successful. And truthful we volition beryllium having the wide speech connected each the scope of capabilities that we deliberation are astir important for Ukraine close now, to enactment it successful a presumption of strength. And again, this is President Biden's apical priority. He is committed to this. And I'm definite we're going to person a bully conversation.

VOA: President Zelenskyy said that for a "victory plan" to work, it requires accelerated decisions from partners, namely the United States. White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan precocious said that President Biden volition usage these 4 months near successful his presidency to enactment Ukraine successful the presumption to triumph the war. So should we expect accelerated bold decisive actions successful the adjacent months?

Carpenter: Yeah, I deliberation you volition spot that we volition undertake a fig of initiatives some successful the coming week and successful the coming months to enactment Ukraine successful a stronger position, bearing successful caput that we person already spent a batch of the wealth from the supplemental measure that was passed successful April. So determination are not a batch of funds left, but we volition effort to prioritize the astir important capabilities to springiness Ukraine spot connected the battlefield.

VOA: Does President Biden privation to spot Ukraine's triumph arsenic a portion of his legacy?

Carpenter: Absolutely. The president is committed to Ukraine arsenic a sovereign, democratic, autarkic authorities and pushing backmost connected this vicious onslaught from Russia. As we've noted galore times, Putin could extremity this warfare contiguous if helium wanted to. And cipher wants bid and stableness and information much than the Ukrainian people. They are the victims here. They are the ones whose towns, whose villages, whose neighbor's houses person been bombed out, whose schools and kindergartens. I mean, we've seen the astir atrocious warfare crimes, adjacent crimes against humanity person been recovered to person been perpetrated wrong Ukraine. So we recognize that Ukrainians privation bid supra each else, but we request to springiness them the spot to beryllium capable to execute that. And that is wherever we program to person a precise substantive discussion, however to align our policies to execute that extremity goal.

VOA: World leaders are gathering successful New York for a United Nations General Assembly. Will President Biden usage the UNGA level to propulsion for much enactment for Ukraine successful this captious time?

Carpenter: I deliberation you tin expect that Ukraine volition diagnostic successful the president's code to the General Assembly. And I tin guarantee you that successful astir of the conversations with our partners and allies from astir the world, this volition beryllium 1 of the apical topics of conversation.