US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss efforts to revive peace negotiations with Russia and strengthen Ukraine's air defence capabilities, including plans for Kyiv to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors under licence.
The two leaders held private talks in the Oval Office before attending the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Ukraine's most prominent advocates in the United States Congress.
During his visit, Zelenskiy also met Finnish President Alexander Stubb, held discussions with US senators on Capitol Hill and met executives from defence contractor Lockheed Martin, one of the manufacturers of Patriot missile interceptors.
The visit came at a critical time for Ukraine as Kyiv seeks to secure continued US military support despite criticism over delays in disbursing previously approved American assistance.
Reuters reported Zelenskiy stressed on Ukraine's urgent need for additional anti-ballistic missile systems and interceptor missiles during his meetings with Trump and lawmakers, while welcoming proposed US legislation that would impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia's energy sector.
“We have drones capable of destroying Iranian- and Russian-made drones,” Zelenskiy told reporters.
“The real problem is anti-ballistic systems and anti-ballistic missiles. Of course, I shared what we need.”
Writing later on Telegram, Zelenskiy described his meeting with Trump as productive and said the discussions included the US President's commitment, first announced during this month's NATO summit, to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors.
Speaking later to Fox News, Zelenskiy said Trump had “accepted that he will give us licences” to produce the interceptors domestically.
The Ukrainian leader also said both sides discussed ways to accelerate diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia, now in its fifth year.
“We also talked about diplomacy. It is important to step up the diplomatic process,” he said.
Sources familiar with the discussions said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Ukraine for the first time as part of renewed American efforts to restart mediation with Russia.
The pair have previously travelled to Russia several times since Trump returned to office in January 2025, holding multiple meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Separately, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian officials had held talks with Lockheed Martin on accelerating joint production of Patriot interceptors.
“Our teams are already working on solutions to move to co-production as quickly as possible,” he said.
Following Senator Graham's funeral, Zelenskiy spent nearly an hour meeting US senators before observing a Senate vote on a bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia, legislation Graham had strongly championed before his death.
“Sanctions pressure on Russia is very important,” Zelenskiy said, adding that the proposed measures would further restrict Moscow's ability to finance the war while demonstrating continued American support for Ukraine.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the legislation would send a clear message to the Kremlin.
“With this vote, we are going to show Putin he can't bully Ukraine. America stands behind Ukraine. We are going to back Ukraine, and they're going to win and beat Putin,” he said.
The visit also came amid scrutiny of the Pentagon after correspondence with lawmakers showed the Trump administration does not expect to complete spending US$400 million in previously authorised military assistance for Ukraine until the 2029 fiscal year.
The delay has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argue the approved assistance should be delivered more quickly as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks.
Relations between Trump and Zelenskiy, which were strained during the early months of Trump's second term, have improved in recent months as Ukraine has stepped up military operations, including expanded attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure.
Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, died suddenly from a heart condition on July 11 at the age of 71. A long-time ally of Trump and a leading advocate of strong US support for Ukraine, he had visited Kyiv only one day before his death, marking his 10th trip to the country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. - July 29, 2026
