US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had a “good call” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which the two discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses, according to a report published by Reuters on Saturday.
Trump Voices Frustration With Putin
Trump spoke aboard Air Force One and reportedly said he was “very unhappy” after his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticising the latter for his reported refusal to pursue a ceasefire.
Patriot Missiles Key to Defense
When asked whether the US would deploy additional Patriot missile systems, Trump replied, “They’re going to need them for defense. They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard,” as reported by Reuters.
He commended the Patriots, stating they were “pretty amazing.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy, in a Telegram statement, said the call entailed discussion around enhancing Kyiv’s capacity to “defend the sky” and cooperation on joint defense production, procurement, and investments with the US.
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US Arms Shipments In The Crosshairs
Kyiv has been urging Washington for Patriot missiles and associated systems, which it views as integral to its defense against Russian attacks. The US temporarily suspended some shipments of weapons recently, which Kyiv said had dealt a blow to its defense efforts.
An official privy to the Trump-Zelenskyy conversation told Reuters that they were hopeful Patriot shipments would resume following what they termed a “very good” exchange.
Germany is believed to be negotiating the purchase of Patriot systems to fill gaps, report say.
Russia’s Bombardment Continues
Less than two hours after Trump’s scathing critique of Putin, Russia staged its biggest drone assault of the war on Kyiv, which Zelenskyy described as “deliberately massive and cynical”.
Meanwhile, Trump also met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss Ukraine’s request for missiles but stated there was no final decision in that regard.
According to a report in Axios citing unidentified sources, Trump spent around 40 minutes with Zelenskyy and agreed to revisit any suspended US weapons shipments.
Ukraine received Patriot systems and ammunition for the last time under President Biden. Trump has since reconfigured US–Ukraine relations and challenged the efficacy of previous support, calling Biden’s efforts insufficient in delivering adequate returns.
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