Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes outgoing US President Joe Biden can still make important decisions before leaving office in January that would strengthen Ukraine, including allowing the country to use long-range weapons against Russia.

Zelensky told Ukrainian media on Saturday before leaving Kyiv for meetings in the US, 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 US to allow Ukraine to fire long-range weapons deep into Russia's hinterland.

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"We need long-range weapons," Zelensky said.

Kyiv has for weeks been pressing the West to allow it to use Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia, arguing it could change the course of the war two and a half years after Moscow's invasion of its neighbor.

"Neither America nor the United Kingdom gave us permission to use these weapons on the territory of Russia, on any targets, at any distance," Zelensky told reporters.

"I think they are worried about an escalation."

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.