President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he would meet US President Donald Trump to discuss weapons and energy on Friday in the US.
The planned meeting comes after rare back-to-back phone calls between the two over the weekend, where Zelensky said he briefed Trump on defense and energy after the call on Sunday.
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Bloomberg said Zelensky on Monday confirmed his upcoming trip while speaking to reporters in Kyiv.
“We need to discuss the sequence of steps that I want to propose to the president,” Zelensky said, adding that the meeting is planned for Friday.
Zelensky said his visit will include meetings with US lawmakers, military officials, and – at Trump’s urging – energy executives, as Ukraine seeks to expand gas imports from the EU, Norway and the Middle East, according to Bloomberg.
Russian strikes in recent weeks have targeted Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of winter, leading to blackouts in multiple cities and slashing Ukraine’s gas production by half.
On Oct. 9, Zelensky said Ukraine has plan “A” and “B” if the gas situation deteriorates – boost domestic production, or increase imports from outside the country, according to UNN.
Zelensky’s comments confirmed earlier rumors of the planned meeting shared by the Financial Times (FT).
A Ukrainian delegation, led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, is reportedly en route to the US to likely set the groundwork for Zelensky’s meeting with Trump.
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“The topics are air defense, energy, and sanctions steps. The issue of frozen Russian assets in the US will also be discussed,” Zelensky said while describing the goal for the delegation.
The transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles – long sought by Kyiv – is likely to top the agenda for Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation, after Trump said he had “sort of made” a decision on the weapons a week earlier. Zelensky recently likened the move to an ultimatum aimed at pressuring Moscow into good-faith negotiations.
The Kremlin has opposed the missiles’ transfer to Kyiv.
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