Harris slams Ukraine 'surrender' policy

WASHINGTON

Kamala Harris criticized her U.S. election rival Donald Trump's "surrender" policy on Ukraine on Sept. 26, while the Republican said he would meet Ukraine's president despite a bitter row over the war with Russia.

Volodymyr Zelensky presented a so-called "victory" plan to President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House, with Biden announcing a new military aid package worth nearly $8 billion for a struggling Kiev.

Standing with Zelensky at her side, Harris did not mention Trump by name but said there were "some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory."

"These 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," she said, referring to the Russian leader.

During a separate meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky, Biden pledged that "Russia will not prevail" in the war it launched in February 2022.

"Ukraine will prevail, and we'll continue to stand by you every step of the way," Biden said.

Dressed in his trademark military-style outfit, Zelensky replied that "we deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side."

But Zelensky is navigating the choppy waters of a U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 that could sink the staunch support that he has received from Washington in the past two-and-a-half years.

Trump, who has long been critical of the billions of dollars in U.S. support for Ukraine, accused Zelensky on the eve of the visit of refusing to strike a deal with Moscow.