Ukraine Seeks Urgent Support to Boost Air Defense After Trump Says Peace Not ‘Immediate’

WASHINGTON DC – A senior Ukrainian delegation on Wednesday wrapped up a high-stakes trip to the US that was originally aimed at convincing President Donald Trump and his administration to not be deceived by what they describe as “Russian obfuscation.”

The top Ukrainian officials spent two days in Washington trying to explain to Americans that despite recent Istanbul meetings, the Kremlin was not bracing for peace – not at least in the short term.

But eyebrows may have been raised on Wednesday when Ukrainians learned that Russia also had a similar message to the Americans – and even more surprisingly, their messenger was President Trump.

After speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the phone for more than an hour, Trump took to his social media account to describe the call as “good, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace.”

According to the US President, Putin told him that Moscow “will have to respond” to Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russian airfields.

As Trump clearly got an earful from Putin about a whole array of recent Ukrainian actions, Kyiv officials continued to explain on Wednesday that Operation Spiderweb, which took 18 months to plan, could have been entirely avoided – if a ceasefire had been in place.

“Ukraine didn’t start this war. But, nobody more than Ukrainians wants to end this war – to achieve a just and lasting peace,” Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukraine’s Office of the President, told reporters after meetings with US lawmakers and senior Trump officials on Wednesday.

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“It’s impossible to talk about peace when you are living under the attack of missiles and drones,” he added, reminding everyone that Ukraine had aligned itself with Trump’s May appeal for a full 30-day ceasefire, a proposal Putin has refused. In the weeks since, Kyiv has been asking Washington to meet Russia’s obstinance with sanctions and other measures.

“As we discussed with colleagues over the past two days, it is time to increase pressure on Russia. We are very hopeful for new sanctions that will create the necessary atmosphere for Russia to come to the negotiating table,” Yermak emphasized.

Trump returned to office in January, having vowed to end the war overnight, but months of failed talks have left the president and his administration publicly frustrated.

During a meeting with Secretary of State and acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio earlier on Wednesday, Yermak discussed the situation on the front lines and, as he put it, the urgent need to strengthen support for Ukraine’s air defense.

“I emphasized that Ukraine has done everything possible to achieve peace and is ready for a ceasefire – but Russia refuses. That is why additional sanctions are necessary. We agreed to coordinate our next steps,” he noted in a social media post.

Yermak also met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill, offering insight into Russian war crimes and battlefield dynamics.

The US and Ukrainian officials also exchanged views about the Istanbul meeting, where the Russians apparently didn’t want to see the Americans in the room.

Yermak told reporters that Kyiv expects from Russia “not a show, but participation in genuine negotiations,” highlighting the importance of involving the US and the EU in this process.

In the meantime, the Ukrainians made it clear in Washington that since the diplomatic push has been kicked into high gear after Trump took office, the Kremlin is no closer to peace – but more violent week after week.

The delegation shared the latest finding from Ukrainian military intelligence, saying that Moscow has set a goal of seizing the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk by the end of September – two of the four regions that it has claimed to have annexed.

By the end of the year, Russia wants to establish a buffer zone along the Ukraine-Russia border, according to Col. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Office of the President.

“It’s interesting, but they have plans even for 2026. The plan for next year is to occupy the whole part of Ukraine which is situated on the left bank of the Dnipro River,” Palisa told reporters.

“Unfortunately, [the Russians] are not speaking about peace. They are preparing for war,” he said.

The Ukrainian delegation also highlighted the importance of boosting Ukraine’s air defense to counter Russian missile strikes.

They emphasized the need to return all hostages and children abducted by Russia.

The delegation shared presentations with reporters, which included drone footage of recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian air bases, personal accounts of child abductions and more.