Zelenskyy to meet Trump as Ukraine seeks stronger air defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the United States to press for stronger military cooperation, as Kyiv and Moscow intensify long-range strikes amid stalled peace
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the United States to press for stronger military cooperation, as Kyiv and Moscow intensify long-range strikes amid stalled peace efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United States ahead of talks with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying Kyiv's top priority was securing stronger air defense and strategic cooperation as Russia intensified attacks. "Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer," Zelenskyy said in a post on X after arriving in the US. The two leaders are due to meet at the White House before attending a tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, who passed away earlier this month.
US-Ukraine ties improving The long-strained relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have improved in recent weeks. Since returning to office in January last year, Trump largely stopped direct US arms shipments to Ukraine, instead allowing European allies to buy American weapons and supply them to Kyiv. However, Washington remains a key ally, providing intelligence and access to the Starlink satellite network used by Ukrainian frontline troops to communicate. In a sign of improving ties, Trump, in a meeting with Zelenskyy in Turkey earlier this month, pledged to help Ukraine produce Patriot air defense systems, saying Kyiv would be able to produce them "pretty quickly." This has been a long-running request from Kyiv in order to counter Russian missile attacks.
Kyiv and Moscow ramp up long-range strikes The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes as more than four years have passed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the war, both sides have stepped up long-range strikes. Russia said on Tuesday that more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, damaging residential buildings. Russian state media also reported that Russian forces struck two vessels, including a ship in the Black Sea that Moscow claimed was transporting military supplies for Ukraine, according to Reuters. Ukraine targets key Russian shipping routes To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko Don't let the algorithm hide the news.
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