President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on the phone on June 7.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a briefing, after the presidents talked, that Biden wanted to welcome Zelensky to the White House this summer. Biden also said he would “stand up firmly for Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
According to Zelensky’s administration’s readout of the call, he accepted Biden’s invitation.
The phone call took place amid preparations for the upcoming meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin set for June 16 in Geneva and the NATO summit in Brussels on June 14.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is expected to feature heavily on the agenda of both events. Participants are expected to discuss Russia’s build-up of military forces near Ukraine’s borders that started in March.
For Ukraine, the most painful issue has been the construction of Nord Stream 2, a Russian-German gas pipeline that is nearing completion. When finished, it will deal a blow to Ukraine by taking away its lucrative gas transit contract and a bargaining chip in its relations with Russia.
In an interview with Axios, published on June 6, Zelensky said he was surprised and disappointed by Biden’s decision to stop blocking the construction of the pipeline.
According to Axios, Zelensky used the Zoom interview to “beseech Biden to meet with him face to face before the June 16 summit with Putin.” Zelensky said he was ready to join Biden “at any moment and at any spot on the planet.” Instead, he got a phone call.
It was only the second time the two leaders spoke since Biden took office on Jan. 20, 2021.
Zelensky and Biden held their first phone call on April 2. In it, Biden affirmed “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea.”
The two leaders have yet to meet in person.
