Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday, October 13th, that he will travel to Washington this week to meet U.S. president Donald Trump, in what would be his third visit to the White House since January. The Ukrainian leader said the discussions would focus on air defence systems and how to put more pressure on Russia.
Zelensky said he would join a Ukrainian delegation already in the United States, including Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and heads of his presidential office and national security council, along with diplomatic representatives.
“The main topics are air defence and our possibilities … to pressure Russia,” Zelensky said.
Trump confirmed that Zelensky is expected to meet him on Friday. Asked during a brief fuel stop while returning from the Middle East–where over 20 world leaders gathered to discuss the Middle East Peace Plan–the U.S. president said, “I think so, yeah.”
Over the weekend, Zelensky held two phone calls with Trump in which they discussed “the challenges” of Ukraine. “We discussed some sensitive issues. That conversation was not enough, even though it was substantive,” Zelensky said while hosting a visit to Kyiv by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
During the Washington visit, Zelensky plans to meet U.S. senators, congressmen, and military companies, in addition to Trump.
