Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Trump to secure anti-ballistic missile support for Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House to secure firm commitments for Ukraine's anti-ballistic missile defenses. The Ukrainian leader seeks to solidify support for a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles on Ukrainian soil, a move that involves complex political and technical processes. This meeting occurs as the Russia-Ukraine war and the U.S.-Iran conflict converge, following Ukraine's recent strike on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea. Ukrainian officials describe Iran as a direct accomplice to Russian aggression, noting that Tehran has provided weapons and satellite imagery to Moscow. While Iran has threatened retaliation for the Caspian Sea strike, Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, dismissed these threats as unjustified. The meeting also follows a period of intense Russian drone activity, with Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reporting over 390 drones targeting the region. Zelenskyy will also attend the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, where he will meet with Benjamin Netanyahu.