In an apparent U-turn late on Thursday, Donald Trump told reporters that he would meet Zelenskyy at Trump Tower in New York on Friday morning. The move comes after Kamala Harris described the Trump campaign’s policy on ending Russia’s war as “proposals of surrender”. “These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace,” she said. “Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable.” Trump rejected Harris’ criticisms and insisted that he only wants to stop the “horror show that’s gone on”. When asked if Ukraine should give up territory, Trump was non-committal, saying: “Let’s get some peace … We need peace. We need to stop the death and destruction.” His running mate, JD Vance, had earlier suggested Russia could retain the Ukrainian land it has occupied and establish a demilitarised zone with a heavily fortified frontline to prevent another Russian invasion.
Before announcing the meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump posted on social media a purported message from the Ukrainian president asking to see him. The message, which was not confirmed by Ukrainian officials, said “we have to strive to understand each other.” The decision to publicly disclose what appeared to be private communications was a reminder of the tension that has been brewing between Trump and Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy met Joe Biden at the White House for the formal presentation of the Ukraine president’s high-stakes proposal, which he has said can end the war with Russia with additional American aid. The White House issued a short statement after the meeting, saying that the “two leaders discussed the diplomatic, economic, and military aspects of President Zelenskyy’s plan and tasked their teams to engage in intensive consultations regarding next steps”. Zelenskyy has kept the details of the plan secret, but US officials have said it includes additional American aid to prevent a Ukrainian rout on the battlefield and “provide the [Ukrainian] people with the assurance that their future is part of the west”.
Biden announced more than $8bn in military assistance to Kyiv, calling it a “surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war”. The aid includes the provision of a medium-range “glide bomb” munition fired from fighter jets that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike Russian troops and supply lines at safer distances. The package includes additional Patriot air defense battery and missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and measures to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base, Biden said. The US will also expand training for additional F-16 fighter pilots, with an extra 18 pilots to be trained next year. But Biden was not expected to grant a key Ukrainian request that has been supported by the UK – permission to use arms such as long-range Atacms ballistic missiles to strike targets deeper inside Russia – due to fears of escalating the conflict with Russia.
Russian forces repeatedly shelled a settlement west of the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson on Thursday, killing one person and wounding another, the region’s governor said. Vyacheslav Prokudin, governor of Kherson region, still partly held by Russian forces, said on Telegram that the woman died when Russian forces hit the village of Tomyna Balka six times.
Outside Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv, a strike by Russian multiple rocket launchers triggered a fire engulfing at least six homes in the town of Slatyne, local official Vyacheslav Zadorenko said.
Zadorenko said emergency services were tackling the blaze and trying to establish whether any residents were trapped under rubble. Kharkiv, located 30 km (18 miles) from the border, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks.
Reuters could not verify the reports independently.