Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this Tuesday that “the initiative [in the war] is no longer in Putin’s hands,” but that, despite losing “30,000 soldiers per month,” the Russian President “doesn’t want to stop.”
“We ask every day to end this war, at least to negotiate a temporary ceasefire and give diplomats the opportunity to negotiate. But Putin doesn’t want to (…). That’s why we have to respond, be tough, be strong. Not just us. We’re counting on sanctions,” added the Ukrainian head of state during an interview with the Fox News network.
Zelensky was in Washington to meet with American President Donald Trump and attend the funeral ceremonies for pro-Ukraine Senator Lindsey Graham.
The Ukrainian President confirmed he had obtained from his American counterpart, during the meeting at the White House, the licenses for the co-production of Patriot interceptor missiles, vital for Kyiv’s air defense.
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“He agreed to give us the licenses and then I had a meeting with representatives from the production sector, very important American military companies,” he said. “I hope we can move forward with co-production,” he said.
Donald Trump, for his part, stated on his Truth Social platform that the meeting with the Ukrainian President “went very well.”
According to the UN, June was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, due to the increase in Russian attacks with ballistic missiles, which are harder to intercept. Only American Patriot systems are able to shoot them down, but Ukraine faces a severe shortage of PAC-3 missiles, worsened by the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.
A senior Ukrainian official told the France-Presse news agency that Moscow intends to intensify attacks, with new ballistic launchers being sent near the border and additional deliveries from North Korea expected in August.
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“It’s crucial that Washington authorize the purchase of a batch of Patriot missiles,” added the unidentified source, acknowledging that “much will depend on President Trump’s mood.”
In July alone, Moscow launched 120 high-speed ballistic and anti-ship missiles against Ukraine, of which only 35 were intercepted, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. By comparison, Russia fired between 250 and 320 ballistic missiles throughout all of 2024.
Zelensky also stated that Tuesday’s meeting was also an occasion to discuss “diplomacy,” and that it is “important that the diplomatic process be revived” to end the conflict, he wrote on the social network X.
Relations between Zelensky and Trump were tense for a long time. Since returning to power, Trump has significantly reduced direct weapons deliveries to Kyiv, preferring the PURL program, which allows Europeans to purchase weaponry and transfer it to Ukraine.
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In February 2025, the two presidents even argued in front of the cameras in the Oval Office, with Trump accusing Zelensky of ingratitude and of “playing with World War Three.” In recent weeks, however, the American President has adopted a more conciliatory stance, going so far as to praise Zelensky, publicly considering that he is doing “a formidable job.”
After the meeting at the White House, Zelensky went to the Senate to encourage the adoption of new sanctions against Russia, measures that Trump reportedly supported. The Senate advanced a bill on Tuesday night, which should now go to a final vote before moving to the House of Representatives.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated in recent months, appearing significantly distant from the climate of apparent understanding that resulted from the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska, in August 2025. Last week, in Manila, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, against continuing weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
