President Donald Trump hosted separate meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the White House characterizing the sessions as “positive and productive.”
The leaders traveled to Washington to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent supporter of Israel and a vocal advocate for US military assistance to Ukraine, who passed away earlier this month.
During their discussion, Zelensky expressed Kyiv’s urgent need for enhanced US support to strengthen its air defense capabilities, though no formal commitments were made following the meeting.
Netanyahu’s visit occurs at a sensitive time, as US-Israel relations face strain due to differing perspectives regarding the situation with Iran.
Leading up to the meeting, Zelensky was expected to urge Trump to honor a commitment made during this month’s NATO summit regarding a license for Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles.
Ukraine has persistently requested access to American Patriot missiles to defend its cities against increasingly frequent Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes.
Despite the intense discussions, the private meeting concluded without any official confirmation regarding additional US military aid to Ukraine.
In a message on X, Zelensky expressed gratitude to Trump for his ongoing efforts to “protect the lives of Ukrainians.”
Zelensky noted that they addressed the Patriot missile licenses and explored “several ideas that could help,” emphasizing that it is vital to “reinvigorate” the diplomatic process.
Zelensky also confirmed meetings with representatives from Lockheed Martin to discuss expanding defense cooperation.
“Ukraine has a lot to share with those who help us protect lives,” Zelensky stated. He added that discussions focused on joint capabilities for Patriot systems and other technologies, with teams working toward rapid co-production to bolster Ukrainian defense capabilities.
Additionally, Zelensky scheduled meetings with a bipartisan group of Senators advancing legislation to sanction entities purchasing Russian oil and gas, aimed at penalizing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
