Zelensky: ‘A good meeting with Trump. We discussed the Patriot system and diplomacy’
The Ukrainian President’s visit to Washington: a summit with a group of bipartisan senators
Key points
Volodymyr Zelensky went to see Donald Trump with more than one card up his sleeve that would be useful to the tycoon, including Kyiv’s attacks on Iranian ships supplying Russia’s military capabilities. Overturning the atmosphere of fierce confrontation from February 2025 – which was broadcast live from the Oval Office – the American and Ukrainian presidents met in the spirit of a relationship stronger than ever, ranging from calls for diplomacy and the production of Patriot interceptor missiles to counter Russian incursions, to Ukraine’s offer of high-tech drones – which are more indispensable than ever in the war against Iran. A “positive and productive” meeting, according to the White House’s initial comment.
A “good meeting”, according to Zelensky, who took to X to thank the tycoon for “everything we are doing together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and promote peace”. In his post, the Ukrainian leader, following the one-hour closed-door meeting which was also attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio (who met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov a few days ago), the Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and the Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, “offered President Trump our condolences on the passing of Lindsey Graham. ‘A true friend of Ukraine,’ he remarked, referring to the influential senator who died on 11 July after returning from Kyiv, just a few hours after attending the funeral.
Trump, for his part, said: “It was a great honour to meet President Zelensky of Ukraine. We discussed many issues. The meeting went very well.”
The Ukrainian president provided further details on the topics discussed: “We discussed licences” to produce Patriot interceptors (a prospect that has infuriated Moscow) and “several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy; it is important that the diplomatic process is revitalised. Our teams will organise the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the United States for its steadfast support.”
Zelensky arrived in Washington with some important news: he will receive electronic warfare technology (‘stone cloak’) from London to prevent Ukrainian drones from being detected, following his meeting with the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to whom he proposed the construction of a co-funded drone facility on British soil. Furthermore, he revealed that the US and Ukraine intend to build a drone factory in the US, as part of a new defence partnership designed to combine American manufacturing capacity with Ukrainian drone technology, which has already been tested on the battlefield.
