WASHINGTON
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sought licenses to produce Patriot air-defense interceptors during a “good meeting” with US counterpart Donald Trump on Tuesday, as he underscored Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s loss of initiative on the war front due to heavy losses.
“He accepted that he will give us (Patriot) licenses, and then I had meeting with representatives of production, very strong military companies of the United States. I hope that we will do co-production,” he continued. After the meeting, Trump posted photos to social media with a note that said “Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!”
Relations between Zelensky and Trump have warmed since the start of the US president’s second term, with Trump suggesting earlier this month that Ukrainian strikes inside Russia could help end the war. Ahead of the meeting, a senior Ukrainian official told media that Kyiv’s priorities were fresh supplies of anti-ballistic missiles and ways to revive diplomacy, more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Last month was the deadliest for Ukraine civilians since April 2022, according to the United Nations, as Russia increased its use of difficult-to-intercept ballistic missiles. “It is crucial that Washington approve the purchase of a package of Patriot missiles. That is super important,” the Ukrainian official said. Zelensky also attended a memorial ceremony for Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Ukraine supporter who died unexpectedly this month at age 71.
