White House's Finer meets Zelenskiy in Kyiv on security, energy

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Deputy U.S. national security adviser Jon Finer met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials in Kyiv on Wednesday to discuss top priorities in Ukraine's war with Russia for the remainder of President Joe Biden's term, U.S. officials said.

Finer's discussions included a 90-minute meeting with Ukrainian military officials to discuss the state of the war and the strategy going forward, the officials told Reuters.

Russian forces are advancing in the east of Ukraine while Ukrainian troops have made a bold incursion into Russia's Kursk region. The next months are key for Zelenskiy as he seeks to win more support from the West and seize back the initiative in the war with Russia, after Moscow's invasion in February 2022.

Finer received an update on how the Kursk incursion was proceeding, the officials said.

“While in Kyiv, Mr. Finer has had the opportunity to meet with President Zelenskiy and other key Ukrainian officials to coordinate on our strategic planning over the remainder of President Biden’s term," said White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett.

Finer, who is the principal deputy national security adviser, made the trip at the behest of Biden and national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss U.S. support for Ukraine while Biden remains in office. His term ends on Jan. 20, 2025.

One U.S. official said among the topics discussed were ways to use a prospective $50 billion loan to Ukraine backed by Russian assets.

The loan was agreed upon in principle by G7 leaders in June. It would be serviced with proceeds generated by some $300 billion of Russian central bank assets frozen in the West after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

“We have used these meetings to discuss U.S. assistance for Ukraine’s military, economy, and energy system, among other areas, and we will use the outcomes of these meetings to advance the president’s policy to support Ukraine until they prevail in this war," Savett said.

Another U.S. official said Finer's hour-long session with Zelenskiy and top aide Andriy Yermak was productive and substantive and included an update on the state of the war and strategy going forward.

Finer also met jointly with Ukraine's prime minister, energy minister and regional representatives to discuss energy security and recovery after recent Russian airstrikes, the official said.

While Zelenskiy has pressured the United States to let Kyiv strike military targets deep inside Russian territory, the official said the Ukrainians did not focus on the use of American long-range missiles deeper inside Russia.

The talks were much more broadly focused on the strategic moves needed to help Ukraine improve its position through the next five months, the officials said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Matthew Lewis)