The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has arrived in the US, where he is due to hold talks with President Donald Trump at the White House. Kyiv is seeking to secure US support for a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine. Zelenskyy described these missiles as urgently needed against the backdrop of intensifying ballistic attacks on the Ukrainian capital.
Briefly about the main points
- Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump at the White House.
- Kyiv is seeking a licence to manufacture Patriot interceptors.
- These are the technologically sophisticated PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles.
- A delegation from Raytheon visited Kyiv last week.
- The meeting will take place during a visit to Washington to attend Senator Graham’s funeral.
The licence as the main topic of the negotiations
Zelenskyy hopes to discuss with Trump the support the US President expressed earlier this month regarding the granting of a licence to Ukraine to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles. Ahead of his trip, the Ukrainian President stated that peace must be brought closer.
Patriot This has long been one of Kyiv’s key requests. The need for such air defence systems has become particularly acute following the recent deadly ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, which require interceptors to counter them.
However, political backing for the licence does not mean that production will start any time soon. The joint manufacture of PAC-2 complex missiles and PAC-3 within Ukraine involves lengthy political, legal and technical procedures.
Contact details for Raytheon
Last week, a delegation from the American manufacturer Raytheon visited Kyiv. According to Zelenskyy, the company expressed its «willingness to take our partnership to an even higher level».
The BBC report notes that US-made interceptor missiles are currently in very short supply following the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. This could complicate efforts to simultaneously supply Ukraine with ready-to-use missiles and establish a new production line.
The visit against the backdrop of events in Russia and Iran
The talks in Washington will take place following an overnight drone attack on the Moscow region. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said., stating that between 8.30 pm on Monday and 6.30 am on Tuesday, the region was attacked by more than 390 Ukrainian drones, most of which were shot down by air defence systems.
BBC Verify has confirmed footage showing damage to a high-rise building in Chekhov, south of Moscow, and a fire at a warehouse in Berezhki, west of the capital. Local authorities in Chekhov have reported that there were no casualties.
Ukraine has also stated that it has intelligence suggesting that Russia has provided satellite imagery to Iran for use in attacks on US military installations and Gulf states. Trump said he would find out whether this was true and would ask Vladimir Putin about it.
The Washington meetings and Moscow’s stance
Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington for the senator’s funeral Lindsay Graham, who died this month at the age of 71. Following his conversation with Zelenskyy, Trump is also due to meet Netanyahu — their first face-to-face meeting since the US and Israel began their war against Iran at the end of February.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Kremlin before members of the State Duma, Vladimir Putin described the attacks on civilians as «terrorist tactics» and stated that Russia would achieve its objectives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that it was impossible to freeze the war at present, citing Kyiv’s position.
At the weekend, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, called for a ceasefire to allow for negotiations and a return to the «Istanbul Formula 2.0». These parallel statements do not indicate a coordinated negotiation process, but they do provide a diplomatic backdrop to the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump.
