White House confirms Biden meeting with Zelenskyy in Vilnius
Photo: US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, July 12. The White House has officially confirmed the meeting, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced during a briefing.
"Tomorrow, Biden will meet with Zelenskyy, and they will discuss the long-term commitments of the United States and other allies to help Ukraine defend itself now and prevent future aggression," Sullivan said.
Additionally, Sullivan stated that tomorrow will also mark the inaugural meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, where they will discuss providing a new assistance package, Ukraine's long-term needs, and the expansion of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO.
The advisor noted that allies would discuss Ukraine's future membership in NATO.
"As Biden has stated, if Ukraine were to be admitted now, it would involve NATO in a war with Russia. Additionally, Ukraine still needs to undertake certain reforms. However, the allies will give a joint positive signal about Ukraine's membership in the Alliance," Sullivan added.
NATO Summit and Zelenskyy-Biden meeting
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit will occur in Vilnius on July 11-12. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previously confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will participate in the Summit. The so-called "multi-year assistance package" for Ukraine will be adopted during the meeting, enabling the Ukrainian army to transition from a Soviet model to NATO standards.
Just yesterday, media outlets reported that Biden would meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Today, the White House officially confirmed this information.
