Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United States ahead of talks with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying Kyiv’s top priority was securing stronger air defence and strategic cooperation as Russia intensified attacks.

“Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defence and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X after arriving in the US.

The two leaders are due to meet at the White House before attending a tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, who passed away earlier this month.

US-Ukraine ties improving

The long-strained relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have improved in recent weeks.

Since returning to office in January last year, Trump largely stopped direct US arms shipments to Ukraine, instead allowing European allies to buy American weapons and supply them to Kyiv.

However, Washington remains a key ally, providing intelligence and access to the Starlink satellite network used by Ukrainian frontline troops to communicate.

In a sign of improving ties, Trump, in a meeting with Zelenskyy in Turkey earlier this month, pledged to help Ukraine produce Patriot air defence systems, saying Kyiv would be able to produce them ‘pretty quickly’.

This has been a long-running request from Kyiv in order to counter Russian missile attacks.

Kyiv, Moscow ramp up strikes

The Trump-Zelenskyy meeting comes as more than four years have passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the war, both sides have stepped up long-range strikes.

Russia said on Tuesday that more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, damaging residential buildings.

Russian state media also reported that Russian forces struck two vessels, including a ship in the Black Sea that Moscow claimed was transporting military supplies for Ukraine, according to Reuters.

DW