Biden can still help Ukraine; talks with Putin possible, says President Zelensky

Kyiv [Ukraine], September 22: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes outgoing US President Joe Biden can still make important decisions before leaving office in January that would strengthen Ukraine.
Zelensky told Ukrainian media on Saturday before leaving Kiev for meetings in the United States, that he wants to present what he calls his "victory plan" first to Biden and then to the rest of the world.
He said he is seeking talks with Russia as part of this plan but gave no details.
The Ukrainian leader also repeated his calls for the United States to allow Ukraine to fire long-range weapons deep into Russia's hinterland.
"We need long-range weapons," Zelensky said.
It is unclear how and under what circumstances officials for Ukraine and Russia would meet. Russia's peace demands have been for Ukraine to give up part of its territory, which Kiev says is a non-starter.
For his part, Zelensky once again made it clear that he believes Moscow is not interested in peace talks and wants to continue the war.
Russia was not invited to the first summit in Switzerland in June. Moscow has repeatedly criticized Zelensky for banning talks with Russia by decree, saying this must be lifted. So far, there have only been isolated contacts through mediators, such as in cases of prisoner exchanges.
"The victory plan provides for quick and concrete steps by our strategic partners - in the period from today until the end of December," Zelensky told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, without elaborating.
Ukraine's partners are key to the plan, he said, adding that the roadmap should build a bridge to a second peace summit, in which Russia should also participate.
Meanwhile, at least three people, including a 12-year-old boy, have been killed in renewed Russian missile attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, local authorities said Saturday, as Moscow reported fending off more than 100 Ukrainian drones.
Another three people were injured in the overnight strike on Kryvyi Rih, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Serhiy Lyssak, wrote on Telegram. The attack involved Iskander-M missiles as well as guided missiles, he said.
Lyssak also published several images of houses reduced to rubbles. The search for survivors was ongoing, the governor said.
Kryvyi Rih is an industrial city and the birth place of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It has repeatedly been the target of Russian attacks in the war launched by Moscow more than two and a half years ago.
Several regions across Ukraine reported Russian air raids overnight.
The Ukrainian air defence put the number of total attacks at 25. Five missiles and 11 drones were intercepted, it said.
Across the border, Russia's air defence has shot down more than 100 Ukrainian drones over various Russian regions, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday.
A village in the south-western Krasnodar region, near Ukraine, had to be evacuated due to a fire sparked by falling debris from a downed drone, authorities said, citing a risk of explosions.
No further details were initially available.
According to the Defence Ministry, 53 drones alone were shot down over the south-western Bryansk region that borders Ukraine.
Some 18 drones were intercepted in the Krasnodar region, it said.
The total number of drones downed across Russia was put at 101.
Source: Qatar Tribune