U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met at the White House to address Ukraine's defense needs and diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war. After a meeting lasting more than an hour, Zelenskiy assessed the talks as "a good meeting."
In a statement on the X platform, Zelenskiy said, "Thank you for everything we are doing together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and advance peace." The Ukrainian leader noted that he and Trump discussed licensing the production of Patriot air defense interceptors and other support ideas. Zelenskiy added, "We also talked about diplomacy; reviving the diplomatic process is important," and said officials from both countries would continue the discussions, thanking the U.S. for its "strong support."
Ukraine's Urgent Needs
Ahead of the meeting, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP about Kyiv's priorities. The official stressed that procuring additional Patriot anti-ballistic missiles and finding ways to restart diplomatic negotiations more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion were urgent needs. "It is crucial that Washington approves the purchase of a Patriot missile package," the official said, noting that according to United Nations data, last month was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022 due to Russia's increased use of ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept.
Improvement in Relations and U.S. Support
This latest meeting showed that relations between the two leaders have continued to improve since the start of Trump's second presidential term. Earlier this month, during a meeting in Turkey, Trump praised Zelenskiy for doing "a great job" and offered Ukraine the license to produce Patriot missiles. Zelenskiy also discussed ways to "revive diplomacy" with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner last week.
Since Trump returned to office, the U.S. halted direct arms shipments to Ukraine, allowing European countries to purchase American weapons for Kyiv. However, Washington continues to provide intelligence support and access to the Starlink satellite communications system used by Ukrainian forces. The relationship between the two leaders has improved significantly since the tense Oval Office encounter in February 2025.
Zelenskiy's Congressional Visit
After his meeting with Trump, Zelenskiy attended a memorial ceremony for Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, whom he described as "a true friend of Ukraine" and who recently passed away. Later on Tuesday, Zelenskiy was expected to address U.S. senators ahead of a procedural vote on a bipartisan bill imposing new sanctions on Russia. Some Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns about provisions in the bill—championed by Graham before his death and co-sponsored by 62 senators—that expand Trump's authority to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy.
Fighting Continues on the Ground
As diplomatic contacts continued, clashes on the ground remained intense. Hours before Zelenskiy arrived at the White House, Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Russia. Moscow responded overnight with more than 100 drones against Ukraine, continuing its attacks on the Black Sea port of Odesa and vessels carrying Ukrainian agricultural products. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday denied claims that negotiations on an airspace ceasefire were underway, warning that Ukraine's escalation of attacks inside Russia would further prolong the conflict.
