Zelensky to press Trump on air defences while in Washington

Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where the Ukrainian leader intends to push for stronger commitments regarding Kyiv's anti-ballistic missile defenses. Zelensky emphasized the need to accelerate the path to peace ahead of these discussions.

Zelensky's arrival in the US comes at a critical juncture in Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Overnight, Moscow's mayor reported that the capital was targeted by 390 drones within a few hours.

The Ukrainian president is expected to urge Trump to follow through on his earlier support for granting Kyiv a license to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles. Zelensky has highlighted the urgent need for these interceptors, especially given Russia's recent escalation of deadly ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine's capital.

Patriot missiles have long been a priority for Zelensky, but their supply is severely limited due to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. While a license is a promising step, co-producing the advanced PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors in Ukraine involves a complex and lengthy political, legal, and technical process.

Last week, a delegation from US manufacturer Raytheon visited Kyiv. Zelensky stated that the defense firm expressed "readiness to take our partnership to an even higher level."

Following his meeting with Zelensky, Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This will be their first in-person encounter since the war with Iran began in late February. Both Zelensky and Netanyahu are in Washington to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away this month at 71.

The war in Ukraine seemingly intersected with the US-Israel conflict with Iran over the weekend when Ukrainian forces targeted an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea. Kyiv has labeled Iran a "direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine." Zelensky claims Ukrainian intelligence possesses evidence that Russia has shared satellite imagery with Tehran, enabling Iran to attack US military facilities and Gulf states. Trump stated he would "find out if that's true. I'll ask Putin about it," adding that if true, it had no impact.

Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that over 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the region between 8:30 PM Monday and 6:30 AM Tuesday local time, with most being intercepted by air defenses. BBC Verify confirmed footage showing damage to a high-rise building in Chekhov, south of the capital, and a fire at a warehouse in Berezhki to the west. Local officials in Chekhov reported no casualties.

Since Zelensky's last conversation with Trump in early July, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted logistics hubs, many belonging to Russian e-commerce company Wildberries. These attacks have exacerbated issues for small and medium-sized businesses in parts of Russia, with four Wildberries warehouses, including one in Nevinnomyssk, having been targeted.

Speaking at the Kremlin on Monday, President Vladimir Putin told members of Russia's parliament, the Duma, that Russia's enemies were employing "terrorist methods" against civilians but would "never break" the Russian people. Putin declared, "We will achieve our objectives and will together do everything for victory, for Russia."

Over the weekend, Putin's ally, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, questioned the war's objectives, stating that its roots were "not understandable." Tokayev suggested that a peace deal with Ukraine could be reached if the conflict were paused for negotiations. He proposed, "Perhaps it is time to freeze this conflict and return to the Istanbul formula 2.0," referencing talks that began shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Monday that freezing the war now was impossible "given Kyiv's position."