Trump and Zelenskyy Discuss Air Defense Needs

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a 40-minute phone call on Friday to discuss Ukraine’s urgent need for air defense systems, Orda.kz reports, citing Axios.

According to the outlet, the U.S. is considering ways to support Ukraine amid an escalation in Russian aerial attacks.

Trump told Ukrainian President Zelensky in a call on Friday that the U.S. wants to help Ukraine with air defense, due to escalating Russian attacks, a Ukrainian official and a source with knowledge of the call said,
writes Axios.

President Zelenskyy described the conversation as important and productive in a post on his Telegram channel:

We spoke today about Russian air strikes and the situation at the front. President Trump is very well informed — I appreciate his attention to Ukraine. We discussed air defense capabilities and agreed to work together to strengthen our skies. We also agreed that our teams would meet to coordinate,
 Zelenskyy wrote.

He added that they discussed Ukraine’s defense industry capacity, joint production opportunities, and expressed readiness for direct cooperation with the U.S., particularly in areas involving drones and related technologies.

We also talked in detail about mutual procurement, investment, and the broader diplomatic landscape, including cooperation with the U.S. and other partners,
 he noted.

This call followed Trump's conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 3, where they also discussed the war against Ukraine.

Trump reiterated his position on ending hostilities as soon as possible, while Putin emphasized that Russia is pursuing a political and diplomatic resolution but will continue to push toward achieving its goals.

Following the call, Trump expressed disappointment, saying no progress had been made.

Meanwhile, other reports have surfaced that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unilaterally halted a weapons shipment to Ukraine on July 2.

Original Author: Oksana Matvienko