In a series of high-stakes diplomatic meetings, United States President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky twice within the next week.
The meetings will take place in Normandy, France, and subsequently at the G7 summit in Italy, focusing on Kyiv’s ongoing conflict with Russia, as announced by the White House on Tuesday.
This dual show of support comes amid criticism directed at Biden for his decision to skip an upcoming Ukrainian peace summit in Switzerland. Biden opted to attend an election fundraiser featuring Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts instead, sparking controversy.
During the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in Normandy, Biden will “have the opportunity to sit down with President Zelensky,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed reporters traveling to Paris.
“He’ll have an engagement with him to talk about the state of play in Ukraine and how we can continue and deepen our support for Ukraine,” Sullivan stated.
Following the Normandy meeting, Biden and Zelensky are set to reconvene at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Bari, Italy, from June 13-15. This summit will primarily focus on leveraging frozen Russian funds to bolster Ukraine’s war effort.
“So, in the course of a little more than a week, the president will have two substantive engagements with President Zelensky,” Sullivan added.
However, Biden will not be attending the Ukraine summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, immediately following the G7 meeting. Zelensky has expressed concerns that Biden’s absence might be perceived as a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Biden’s stead, US Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Sullivan will represent the United States at the Swiss summit.
