President Biden will meet at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 30, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
The visit will affirm the United States’ “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression,” Ms. Psaki said in a statement.
The visit also will rekindle criticism of the Biden family’s cozy relations with Ukraine. During the campaign, Mr. Biden weathered criticism about his son Hunter Biden making $1 million a year for serving on the board of a Ukraine energy company, a gig Hunter Biden scored while his father spearheaded Ukraine policy as vice president in the Obama administration.
Ms. Psaki said the meeting also will focus on energy cooperation and efforts to tackle corruption in Ukraine.
Tensions remain high between Ukraine and Russia including friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Ukraine has raised alarms about the project, which would deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany via a pipeline under the Baltic Sea. Mr. Zelensky has said the project undercuts Ukraine’s role as a leading energy producer in the region.
But Germany and Russia have pushed for the completion of Nord Stream 2. Germany says the pipeline is necessary for its energy needs, while Russia sees it as a way to exert increased influence over Europe.
The Biden administration this week asked Ukraine to pipe down about its objections to the pipeline, angering some Ukraine officials, according to media reports.
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