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The White House has confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Switzerland for the Summit on Peace in Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged President Biden to attend.
On June 15, Harris will participate in the summit in Lucerne, where she plans to “underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s effort to secure a just and lasting peace, based on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and the principles of the UN Charter,” her office announced Monday.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan, representing the United States, will accompany her. According to her office, Harris will also reaffirm support for Ukraine as it continues to defend against Russian aggression during her time in Switzerland.
President Zelensky had appealed to President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the summit, calling for their leadership in advancing peace. Despite Zelensky’s plea, Biden will be in Los Angeles on June 15 for a high-profile fundraiser with former President Obama, which will feature Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
National security communications official John Kirby has defended Biden’s absence at the summit, noting the president’s consistent support for Ukraine. Kirby said, “There hasn’t been a single leader around the world who has supported Ukraine more and more stridently than Joe Biden,” Kirby stated. He added, “We’re sending the vice president of the United States and the national security adviser to this particular peace summit again, because of our desire to be represented around that table … that alone is high level, very serious representation by the United States.”