Pool Reports of September 26, 2024

WH in-town pool report #1/ Two minutes until briefing

Greetings from the White House on a cloudy but warm day. We have a two minute warning for the press briefing.

WH in-town pool report 2#/ Briefing under way

The press briefing began at 12.46pm. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is joined by Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Deanne Criswell.

Livestream here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live

WH in-town pool report #3/ Briefing ends

The press briefing ended at 1.37pm after covering Hurricane Helene, Ukraine, Lebanon, gun safety and other topics.

WH in-town pool report #4/ Pool gathers for Zelensky

Pool has gathered for POTUS's bilateral meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine.

WH in-town pool report #5/ Zelensky meeting

Pool entered the Oval Office at 2.18pm. POTUS was sitting with President Zelensky of Ukraine. More to follow.

WH in-town pool report #6/ POTUS speaks

POTUS thanked Zelensky for sharing his plan for victory. POTUS talked about military funding and Ukraine's long term security. "We stand with Ukraine now and in the future… Let me be clear. Russia will not prevail in war."

Zelensky is now speaking.

WH in-town pool report #7/ No responses to questions

POTUS and Zelensky did not respond to shouted questions. Pool left the Oval Office at 2.23pm. More details to follow.

WH in-town pool report #9/ Lunch lid

A lunch lid was called until 4pm.

WH in-town pool report #10/ More from Zelensky meeting

More details from POTUS's meeting with President Zelensky of Ukraine:

POTUS, wearing a blue suit, striped shirt and blue patterned tie, sat with President Zelensky, wearing black sweater and green trousers, before the fireplace in the Oval Office. Zelensky was holding white pages which he placed on a side table as POTUS began speaking.

Reading from cards, POTUS said: "Mr President, welcome back to the White House, welcome back to the Oval Office, we got to see each other yesterday and you shared a preview of your plan to win this war and that's exactly what we're going to discuss today and how can Ukraine prevail in this conflict.

"And I see two key pieces. First, right now we have to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield and that's why today I'm proud to announce a new $2.4 billion package of security assistance. I've also directed the Pentagon to allocate all the remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine, period, by the end of this – my term, which is January 20. And this will strengthen Ukraine's position in future negotiations.

"Second, we look ahead to help Ukraine succeed in the long term. As you know better than anyone, as we said at the Washington summit, we have to support Ukraine on its path to membership to both the EU and to Nato and continue to make reform and counter corruption and strengthen democracy, which you're working mightily on right now.

"We have to ensure Ukraine has sufficient capabilities - I mean sufficient capabilities - to defend against future Russian aggression, so I'm proud of the steps we've taken in our partnership on these fronts.

"Earlier this summer we launched the Ukraine Compact of more than 20 nations committed to Ukraine's long term security and yesterday, with over 30 nations and the EU, we launched the joint declaration of support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, some of it using Russian assets as well.

"And so with both these actions we make it clear we stand with Ukraine now and in the future. We've got a lot to discuss so let me close with this. These two elements are critical to how this war ends. Let me be clear: Russia will not prevail in war. Russia will not prevail; Ukraine will prevail and we'll continue to stand by you every step of the way. Thank you for being here and the floor is yours."

Zelensky, reading from his pages, thanked POTUS for his "strong support" and appreciated how the US and Ukraine have "stood side by side" since the war began. "We must restore normal life and we greatly value your leadership, Mr President.

"It's very important that we share the same vision for Ukraine's security future in the EU and Nato and Ukraine is doing an unprecedented number of reforms on this path."

Zelensky said today's new support package of $7.9 billion will be "a great help". He added that he had meetings with both the House and Senate in the morning, adding: "Thank you for that unwavering bipartisan support."

ENDS

WH in-town pool report #11/ Pool gathers

Pool is gathering for POTUS and VPOTUS's event on addressing gun violence.

WH in-town pool report #12/ East Room

Pool and pre-credentialed media are now in the East Room, where guests including Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland are sitting on gold chairs six rows deep.

A lectern and small table, both with the presidential seal, are set up on stage against the backdrop of a gold curtain and six flags. Piano music is playing from a farther room.

WH in-town pool report #13/ Photoline

From the White House regarding today's event addressing gun violence:

'Participating in a photoline with the President:

Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04)
Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04)
Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07)
Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (AZ-08)
Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany, New York
Mayor Quinton Lucas, Kansas City, Missouri
Mayor Carl Sheline, Lewiston, Maine'

WH in-town pool report #14/ POTUS and VPOTUS enter

POTUS and VPOTUS entered the East Room at 5.10pm as 'Hail to the Chief' played. They are now standing on stage as a former Parkland student delivers remarks.

Livestream here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

WH in-town pool report #15/ POTUS signs exec order on guns

POTUS finished speaking at 5.50pm and sat down and signed the executive order, surrounded by members of Congress and people affected by gun violence. The group included a woman with a baby, whom POTUS playfully greeted. Earlier his speech had to compete with a baby's cries, which he made light of.

WH in-town pool report #16/ Question about Eric Adams

As POTUS left the East Room, a reporter asked him if Mayor Adams should resign. POTUS replied: "I don't know."

WH in-town pool report #17/ Gun violence event participants and attendees

From the White House:

'The President and the Vice President are delivering remarks on addressing the scourge of gun violence in America.

Speaking Program
Sari Kaufman, Special Assistant, White House Gender Policy Council
The Vice President
Mayor Randall Woodfin, Birmingham, Alabama
The President

Participants
Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07)
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (AZ-08)
Garnell Whitfield, former Fire Commissioner, Buffalo, New York
Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Kim Mata-Rubio, Gun Safety Advocate
Larry Snelling, Chicago Police Superintendent
Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
Mark Barden, Co-Founder and CEO, Sandy Hook Promise
John Feinblatt, Executive Director, Everytown for Gun Safety
Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director, Moms Demand Action
Amber Goodwin, Founder, Community Justice and Community Justice Action Fund
Fred Guttenberg, Gun Safety Advocate
Christian Heyne, Chief Programs and Policy Officer, Brady United
Dr. Roger Mitchell, President, Howard University
Po Murray, Co-Founder and Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance
Oresa Napper-Williams, Founder and Executive Director, Not Another Child
Dr. Juily Phun, Director, Chinese American Oral History Project, California State University, Los Angeles
Dr. Chethan Sathya, Surgeon, Northwell Health
Kristin Song, President, Ethan Miler Song Foundation
Dr. Chico Tillmon, Executive Director, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Payton Washington, Student, Baylor University

Attendees
Secretary Miguel Cardona, Department of Education
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Department of Justice
Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, Department of Health and Human Services
Director Steven Dettelbach, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Advocates for gun violence prevention, survivors of gun violence, and the family members and friends of victims'

WH in-town pool report #18/ Lid

A travel/ photo lid was called at 6.14pm.

Foreign Pool Report #1 Background on Zelenskyy's visit

Good afternoon,

I am your foreign pooler for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the White House. The Ukrainian President will meet first with President Biden and then with Vice President Harris shortly after the US announced a new package of military weapons and nearly $8 billion of aid for the country's fight against Russia.

The Ukrainian President is scheduled to meet with POTUS at 1:45pm. This meeting in the Oval Office will have an in-house pool spray at the top.

This morning, the Ukrainian leader already met with Congress members of both parties at Capitol Hill.

Zelenskyy arrived in the US on the weekend. He began his trip by visiting the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, where components for artillery and mortar shells for Ukraine's fight to fend off Russian ground forces are produced. The President thanked the workers for the critically needed munition as Kyiv pushes for an end to 2.5 years of war with Russia's invading forces.

On Wednesday, he gave an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York where he urged the administration to equip his nation with additional arms and authorize his military to strike deeper into Russia with Western missiles in order to force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

He also talked to representatives of American defense and energy companies, and the Ukrainian community. In addition, Zelenskyy held bilateral negotiations with leaders of countries and international organizations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and met with a bipartisan delegation from Congress. The meeting was attended by Senators Ben Cardin, Dan Sullivan, Christopher Murphy, and Representative Gregory Meeks.

This will be the 11th meeting between President Biden and President Zelenskyy, and Zelenskyy's fifth visit to Washington since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Previous bilateral meetings Biden-Zelenskyy:
September 1, 2021 – Washington, DC
November 2, 2021 – COP26
December 21, 2022 – Washington, DC
February 20, 2023 – Kyiv
May 21, 2023 – Hiroshima (G7 summit)
July 12, 2023 – Vilnius (NATO summit)
September 21, 2023 – Washington, DC
December 12, 2023 – Washington, DC
June 6, 2024 – Normandy
June 13, 2024 – Apulia, Italy (G7 summit)
July 11, 2024 – Washington NATO summit

Agenda:

Announcing his visit, Zelenskyy's office said in a statement on September 19, the President of Ukraine would meet with US President Joe Biden to present his "Plan for Victory". "The President of Ukraine expects to discuss the details of this Plan, as well as the United States' support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom." Zelenskyy had also announced that he intended to discuss his plan with former President Donald Trump but according to the Trump campaign there had been no formal agreement for a meeting.

In a press release on September 20, Zelenskyy wrote: "The implementation of some points of the Plan depends solely on decisions from the United States" and: "The Plan is based on decisions that should take place from October through December, without delaying the process".

The Ukrainian President has repeatedly said that he wants an authorization from his allies for the Ukrainian military to strike deeper into Russia with Western missiles. He intends to make his case again in today's meetings. According to a report from Reuters that cites a U.S. official, Biden will not announce today that Washington will let Ukraine use U.S. missiles to hit targets deeper in Russia.

U.S. assistance for Ukraine:

The new package President Biden announced this morning includes nearly $8 billion in military aid and new long-range munitions. "Today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war," Biden said in a statement. The new steps include the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 81 miles, directing the Defense Department to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of Biden's term in office and asking the Pentagon to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots. "Through these actions, my message is clear: The United States will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war," POTUS said.

Zelenskyy said the new aid will help his country achieve victory against Russia. "We will use this assistance in the most effective and transparent way possible to achieve our main common goal: a victorious Ukraine, a just and lasting peace, and transatlantic security," he pledged on X. The Ukrainian leader thanked President Biden, Congress "and its both parties, Republicans and Democrats, as well as the entire American people". He also wrote: "I am grateful to the United States for providing the items that are most critical to protecting our people. An additional Patriot air defense battery, other air defense capabilities and interceptors, drones, long-range missiles, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as funds to strengthen Ukraine's defense industrial base."

Including the new military aid package, the United States has provided more than 56.2 billion dollars in security assistance to Ukraine since the invasion of Russian forces in February 2022.

Zelenskyy's Bio:

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was born in Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine on January 25, 1978. Like many people from Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, he grew up as a native Russian speaker, but he is also fluent in Ukrainian and English.

Zelenskyy received a law degree from Kyiv National Economic University but decided to pursue a career as an actor, comedian, script writer and producer. In 2015, he played a schoolteacher who was elected president in a popular television series called Servant of the People. In 2019, he won the presidential election in Ukraine, unseating Petro Poroshenko.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena Zelenska have two children – daughter Oleksandra and son Kyrylo.

Foreign pool report #2 / Arrival

President Zelenskyy arrived at 1:52pm and went straight into the Oval Office. He didn't wave to the pool. Pool is gathering now for the spray.

Ahead of the meeting, Karine Jean-Pierre said in the briefing: "There is no announcement that I would expect" on green light for longe-range strikes inside Russia.

Foreign pool report #3 / Oval Office remarks of Zelenskyy

Pool entered the Oval Office at 2:18pm.

Biden and Zelenskyy were already sitting next to each other. Both leaders spoke for a our 2.5 minutes. Zelenskyy was wearing olive green pants and what looked like a black sweater with the iconic Ukrainian symbol, the trident. They didn't answer questions afterwards.

This is my quick Otter transcription of Zekenskyy's remarks (he spoke in English).

Mr. President, thank you for your strong support for the decision helping us protect Ukraine. Ukraine as our home. We deeply appreciate that Ukraine and America have stood side by side from the very first moment of this terrible Russian wage, your determination is incredibly important for us to be waived. Yesterday we had, you said we had g7 plus meeting on Ukrainian construction, with more than Saudi countries participating. And it was a truly helpful format. We must restore normal life, and we greatly value your leadership in Australia. We also have 26 bilateral security agreements with partners based on the g7 security duration. We have a strong security agreement with United States, and we are grateful for it, and we will fully implement it. And it's very important that we share the same vision for Ukraine's security future in the EU and NATO, and Ukraine is doing that precedent its number of reforms on this past. Today we have a new support package, $7.9 million this will be great help, and I raised with President Biden plan of victory today, we are preparing to discuss the details to transit plan, coordinate our positions, use and approach. Our teams will work together to ensure that implementation of our future steps, and today, in the morning, I've met with both Senate and the House, and thank you for that unwavering bipartisan support and to all American people together, we have to win global win. Thank you."

Please check against official transcript.