WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris on Thursday criticized her US election rival Donald Trump鈥檚 stance on Ukraine, describing it as a policy of 鈥渟urrender鈥� to Russia as she told President Volodymyr Zelensky that he could rely on her support.
Zelensky also met President Joe Biden to present his 鈥渧ictory plan,鈥� with the White House announcing a fresh military aid package worth nearly $8 billion for Kyiv as it struggles on the battlefield in the third year of Moscow鈥檚 invasion.
Zelensky鈥檚 visit has been clouded by a blazing row with Republican presidential candidate Trump that underscored how November鈥檚 US election could upend the support that Ukraine receives from its biggest backer.
Harris did not mention Trump by name but said there were 鈥渟ome in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality.鈥�
鈥淭hese proposals are the same of those of (President Vladimir) Putin. And let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender,鈥� she said with Zelensky by her side.
During a separate meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky, Biden pledged that 鈥淩ussia will not prevail鈥� in the war it launched in February 2022.
鈥淯kraine will prevail, and we鈥檒l continue to stand by you every step of the way,鈥� Biden said after thanking him for presenting the so-called victory plan.
Dressed in his trademark military-style outfit, Zelensky replied that 鈥渨e deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side.鈥�

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Zelensky is looking to shore up support for his war effort as Biden tries to lock in aid for Ukraine, ahead of the white-knuckle US election on November 5.
Biden pledged nearly $8 billion in military aid on Thursday, including $5.5 billion to be authorized before it expires at the end of the US fiscal year on Monday.
Biden said in a statement that the 鈥渟urge in security assistance for Ukraine鈥� would 鈥渉elp Ukraine win this war.鈥�
Biden also announced Washington would provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) long-range munition and called a summit of allies in Germany in October.
The White House however played down Ukraine鈥檚 hopes that Zelensky鈥檚 visit would achieve his long-held goal of getting permission to fire long-range Western-made missiles into Russian territory.
鈥淚鈥檓 not expecting there to be any new announcements on this particular action or a decision coming out of this meeting,鈥� Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Zelensky also visited the US Congress 鈥� where his government said he had also presented his victory plan 鈥� and gave a defiant address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
But Zelensky鈥檚 visit has prompted fresh nuclear saber rattling from Moscow, which has repeatedly warned the West against giving Ukraine long-range arms.

Putin's nuclear weapons threat
Putin on Wednesday announced plans to broaden Moscow鈥檚 rules on the use of its atomic weaponry in the event of a 鈥渕assive鈥� air attack.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the nuclear threat 鈥渢otally irresponsible鈥� while EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano said Putin was making a 鈥済amble with his nuclear arsenal.鈥�
Kyiv faces an increasingly difficult battlefield situation two and a half years into Russia鈥檚 invasion, with Russian forces continuing to push into eastern Ukraine.
The US presidential election means Washington鈥檚 now support now hangs on the balance.
Trump had also been due to meet Zelensky during his US visit, but their talks appear to be on ice.
Trump accused Zelensky on the eve of the visit of refusing to strike a deal with Moscow and once again questioned why the United States was giving billions of dollars to Kyiv.
At an election rally on Wednesday, the Republican called the Ukrainian president 鈥減robably the greatest salesman on Earth.鈥�
Republicans were livid after Zelensky visited an arms factory in Biden鈥檚 hometown in the battleground state of Pennsylvania earlier this week, with House Speaker Mike Johnson calling for the Ukrainian ambassador to be sacked.
Trump has echoed many of Putin鈥檚 talking points about previous US policy being to blame for the Russian invasion, and has been critical of Zelensky for years.