Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to present a “plan for victory” in the war with Russia during his visit to the US this week.
Zelensky will discuss the plan with President Joe Biden and the two main US presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Part of his agenda is to push for permission to strike deeper into Russian territory using missiles supplied by the US and its allies. His visit coincides with White House preparations for a new $375 million military aid package for Ukraine.
In a statement ahead of the visit, the Ukrainian leader previewed three elements to his plan: further weapons donations, diplomatic efforts to force Russia to agree to peace, and holding Moscow accountable for its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine has been pleading for months for the US, UK and other Western allies to ease restrictions on the use of long-range missiles so it can strike targets in Russia which Kyiv says are used to launch attacks.
Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries that he would consider long-range missile strikes to be “direct participation” by the Nato military alliance in the war.
After Washington, Zelensky is expected to head to New York and the United Nations for a planned meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday and a speech at the General Assembly on Wednesday.