Zelensky Pleads for More U.S. Weapons in Meetings With Biden and Harris

The stakes are high for the Ukrainian leader, who is trying to fend off Russia’s invasion while also navigating tricky U.S. politics that could determine future of American aid.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine made an urgent appeal for more American aid and weapons on Thursday in what could be one of his final chances to persuade President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to add firepower to his fight against Russia.

With growing concerns about the future of U.S. support for Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky had separate meetings at the White House with Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, a reflection of Ms. Harris’s role at the top of the Democratic ticket.

In her remarks, Ms. Harris sought to strike a contrast with her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, who has criticized U.S. aid for Kyiv and said this week that Mr. Zelensky should have cut a deal and made concessions to Russia.

“There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory,” Ms. Harris said, “who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality and would require Ukraine to forgo security relationships with other nations.”

Those proposals, she said, are “the same” as those of Russia’s president.

Her comments came after Mr. Biden authorized the release of $8 billion in military aid, much of which was about to expire, in an effort to assure Mr. Zelensky that he has the administration’s support for the months to come — even after the election in November.

Mr. Zelensky has argued, including in an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, that the Biden administration should equip his nation with additional arms and authorize his military to strike deeper into Russia.

The Biden administration has been considering such a move but has not given the green light. Mr. Biden has been cautious about provoking retaliation against U.S. interests. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia is likely to retaliate with greater force if the U.S. and its allies permit Ukraine to fire longe-range missiles into Russia.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia most likely added fuel to such concerns on Wednesday when he said he planned to lower the threshold for his country’s use of nuclear weapons. Mr. Putin said he would be prepared to use a nuclear weapon in response to an attack carried out with conventional weapons that creates “a critical threat to our sovereignty.”

William B. Taylor Jr., who served as ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009, said there was a “sense of urgency” for Mr. Zelensky to make the case to Mr. Biden that Ukraine has a plan to pressure Mr. Putin and eventually end the war.

“This is maybe the best opportunity to present to the Biden administration the way forward as the Ukrainians see it,” Mr. Taylor said.

Mr. Zelensky came to Washington with a “victory plan” that included a wish list of advanced weaponry and a request for “security guarantees” coordinated among all of Ukraine’s allies.

When asked exactly what he meant by security guarantees, Mr. Zelensky told The New York Times this week that he meant a “strong, strong army,” as well as a “real understanding that we will be in NATO” rather than mere promises that Ukraine will join sometime in the future.

Mr. Biden has only vaguely committed to allowing Ukraine to join the alliance out of fear of getting NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.

Some American and European officials familiar with Mr. Zelensky’s plan said they wanted the Ukrainian president to stop prioritizing short-term requests for specific weapons and focus instead on long-term strategic ways to end the war while not giving in to Russian aggression.

Mr. Zelensky has hinted he might be open to peace talks with Mr. Putin, but only if he can engage in them from a position of strength, and without needing to concede any Ukrainian territory.

While some U.S. officials were skeptical of Mr. Zelensky’s plan, Mr. Biden did commit to helping Ukraine with a security package that included glide bombs used by F-16 fighter jets, an additional Patriot battery and more air defense missiles.

Roughly $5.5 billion of the funding Mr. Biden announced is not new, but was set to expire at the end of the month after Congress did not authorize the Pentagon to extend its spending authority of the aid. That money will go to so-called presidential drawdown authority shipments that send weapons and matériel from the Pentagon’s existing stockpile.

By announcing the aid package now, Mr. Biden can continue to stretch out the billions of dollars in funding for Kyiv, even after a potential shift in support for Ukraine if Mr. Trump wins the presidential election in November. Mr. Trump told reporters at Trump Tower on Thursday afternoon he planned to meet with Mr. Zelensky on Friday. He last met with Mr. Zelensky in 2019.

Mr. Biden also said the Defense Department would issue $2.4 billion in aid through a separate program — the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which provides money for Kyiv to buy goods directly from military firms — for munitions and drones. He also directed his administration to train more than two dozen Ukrainian F-16 pilots and disrupt Russia’s cryptocurrency network.

“We stand with Ukraine now and in the future,” Mr. Biden said alongside Mr. Zelensky on Thursday. “Russia will not prevail.”

John Ismay contributed reporting.

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

• Biden-Zelensky Meeting: President Biden will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at the White House after announcing a new slate of weapons and nearly $8 billion of aid.
• Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine: President Vladimir Putin of Russia said that he planned to lower the threshold for his country’s use of nuclear weapons, an escalation in his efforts to deter the United States from expanding its aid to Ukraine.
• A National Icon Fights: Serhiy Zhadan is a beloved Ukrainian poet and rock star. Furious over Russia’s invasion, he enlisted in the army even as his band still plays and his readings fill halls.

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