Ukraine’s Zelenskyy hails ‘good meeting’ with Trump at White House
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, describing the encounter as productive. The discussions focused on joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine and diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Relations between Ukraine and the United States have shifted markedly, with President Zelenskyy characterising his recent White House meeting with President Trump as constructive and collaborative. The closed-door discussion, lasting approximately one hour, addressed critical defence and diplomatic matters affecting Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia.
A central focus of the talks involved expanding military cooperation through joint manufacturing initiatives. Trump has previously authorised Ukraine to produce Patriot air defence interceptors domestically, a development Zelenskyy highlighted as essential for countering Russian aerial operations. The two leaders also discussed prospects for drone production partnerships, with Ukraine currently manufacturing six to seven million short-range attack drones annually while the US Pentagon pursues a programme targeting nearly 200,000 drones by early 2027.
Zelenskyy emphasised that anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with the United States remain Ukraine's primary objectives as diplomatic channels reopen. The meeting reflects a substantial improvement from previous encounters, particularly a contentious February meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticised Zelenskyy's approach to US assistance.
The White House characterised both the Zelenskyy meeting and a concurrent session with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as positive and productive. Zelenskyy's US visit included attendance at Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral service and scheduled discussions with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and bipartisan Senate groups.
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