Biden to host Ukrainian president at White House next week to discuss 'state of the war'

​​​​​​​By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden will host his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House next week to discuss the state of Russia's war against its neighbor, the White House announced Thursday.

During the Sept. 26 sit-down, the leaders "will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

Zelenskyy will also meet separately with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is in the midst of her presidential campaign after Biden dropped out of the 2024 White House race.

Jean-Pierre said Biden and Harris "will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war."

The meetings come as Zelenskyy continues to urge the West to lift restrictions on Kyiv's use of long-range weapons to accomplish what Ukraine describes as an expedited end to the war with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons would mean the direct involvement of NATO, the US and European countries in the conflict, fundamentally altering its nature.​​​​​​​

Russia claimed Thursday that it had taken control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow continues to claim advances amid its offensive on multiple fronts as Ukraine pushes its offensive inside Russia proper.

A Russian Defense Ministry statement said its forces captured the village of Heorhiivka, located 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the city of Pokrovsk, a major front in Moscow’s ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Russia announced Monday the evacuation of two settlements in its southern Kursk region where fighting with Ukrainian troops have been making steady advances since operations began Aug. 6.

Kursk regional governor, Alexey Smirnov, said the settlements of Rylskoye and Khomutovskoye, located within a 9-mile (15-kilometer) zone adjacent to Ukraine, are subject to obligatory evacuation.