Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has disclosed that he agreed with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to work to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences,
This came as the two leaders had a “very important and fruitful conversation” by phone.
Zelenskyy revealed that he and Trump spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that they will work together to “strengthen protection of our skies.”
The Ukrainian President added that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments, with the US leader.
The phone call also came a day after the US President spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He disclosed after the call that he found the conversation disappointing.
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed. I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”
Donald Trump
Trump said that the call with Putin resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war, and the Kremlin reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict’s “root causes.”
Meanwhile, concerns have mounted in Kyiv over US military aid deliveries.
Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.
A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s air strikes and battlefield advances.
The US said that it halted the shipments, some of which were already in Poland, due to a review of US military stockpiles that suggested that the country is running low on munitions for its own troops.
Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.
In his post after his call with Trump, Zelenskyy said the two had “a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production.”
“We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainians are “grateful for all the support provided”, as it helps protect lives and safeguard their independence.
“We support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace. A noble agreement for peace is needed.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Yet it was not immediately clear if Zelenskyy had achieved any concrete progress with Trump and in his statement he did not mention the halt of aid shipments from the US or announce their resumption.
Zelenskyy Slams Putin
Moreover, Zelenskyy accused Vladimir Putin of “publicly humiliating” Donald Trump after Russia launched a devastating attack with a record number of drones and ballistic missiles on Kyiv, hours after the two leaders spoke by phone.
Zelenskyy described the seven-hour raid as a “deliberate act of terror” which “immediately followed the call between Washington and Moscow.”
He added that it was one of the most severe assaults of the entire war and a “clear interpretation of how Moscow interprets diplomacy.”
The sustained and coordinated night-time attack involved more than 550 Russian drones and ballistic missiles – a record. Families in Kyiv spent the night in metro stations, basements and underground parking garages.
Meanwhile, one senior Ukrainian official suggested Trump’s apparent strategy of appeasing Putin was not working.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Zelenskyy’s office, said that any US phone call with Putin “inevitably results in massive demonstrative shelling of Kyiv – with enormous destruction.”
He posted on social media that Putin treated these conversations as “an opportunity to publicly humiliate the other side’s reputation.”
He added that it was a “way to demonstrate his [Putin’s] boundlessness and willingness to kill ever more brazenly.”
With supplies of anti-aircraft missiles running low, Ukraine is increasingly using home-produced drones to take down incoming Shahed drones.
However, it is struggling to cope with the overwhelming numbers flooding its skies.
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