Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed efforts to revive peace talks with Russia and a possible licence for Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors during a private Oval Office meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting took place before the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent supporter of Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to maintain U.S. military backing.
Patriot interceptor production
Zelenskiy said in a Telegram post that he had a “good meeting” with Trump and that they discussed the U.S. president’s promise at a NATO summit this month to grant Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot missile interceptors.
“We talked with the president about licenses for producing interceptors for the Patriots and other ideas that could help,” Zelenskiy said, without providing further details.
Ukraine has faced persistent shortages of Patriot systems and interceptors as Russia has increased attacks on cities. Patriot systems are the only weapons in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
Diplomatic efforts
Zelenskiy said the two leaders also discussed diplomacy and the need to accelerate the process, referring to stalled talks with Russia aimed at ending the war, now in its fifth year.
The visit came as U.S.-Ukraine relations have improved in recent months, although the United States has been holding back aid for Kyiv. Graham’s death has also removed one of Ukraine’s most influential advocates in Washington.
Congressional meetings and aid
Following Graham’s funeral, Zelenskiy was expected to travel to the U.S. Capitol to meet senators.
The Senate is preparing to vote on a bipartisan package of new sanctions against Russia, which Graham had been working to advance in his final days.
Zelenskiy’s visit followed a Pentagon letter to lawmakers stating that the Trump administration would not complete spending $400 million authorised for aid to Ukraine until fiscal year 2029.
