President Volodymyr Zelensky spent Wednesday in a whirlwind of high-level diplomacy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, holding meetings with US President Donald Trump, European leaders, South Korea’s president and a bipartisan US congressional delegation.
Air defense, sanctions against Russia, Ukraine’s EU accession and defense-industrial cooperation dominated the discussions, with Trump‘s pledge to license Patriot production in Ukraine emerging as the day’s biggest headline.
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Meloni and EU leaders
Zelensky began the day with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, describing the talks as important amid another wave of Russian attacks.
“I informed about the situation in Ukraine. Russia does not stop shelling our cities and communities,” Zelensky said, adding that ballistic missiles and attack drones had again struck Ukraine, killing civilians in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson.
The leaders discussed strengthening European cooperation on ballistic missile defense and Ukraine’s urgent need for additional missiles for air defense systems.
“We talked about the need for additional missiles for air defense systems, and we are very much counting on support. Italy always fundamentally helps protect life,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky later met with European Council President António Costa, where the two discussed Ukraine’s EU accession process.
“It is important to move in this direction as soon as possible,” Zelensky said, revealing the need to open the remaining five negotiating clusters.
Trump Says US Will Let Ukraine Build Patriot Systems: ‘We’ll Show Them How to Make Them’
“We are fulfilling all our obligations to join the European Union. And it would be fair if we received clear signals of support from the EU in response.”
The Ukrainian leader also met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where the talks focused on Ukraine’s European integration.
“It is important to open the remaining negotiation clusters in the near future and not lose momentum on this path,” Zelensky said.
He added that both sides are working on the Drone Deal initiative and discussed the next steps, including the possible timeline for signing the agreement.
According to the president, the two sides also held detailed discussions on energy security and preparations for the coming winter.
“I am grateful for the energy support and for the fact that all previous agreements are being fulfilled. There are also new ideas. We are working together on the energy security of all of Europe,” Zelensky wrote.
H2: US Congress
He later met a bipartisan, bicameral US congressional delegation, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Lindsey Graham, Richard Durbin, Christopher Coons, Mike Rounds and Representative Mike Turner.
According to Zelensky, the discussions centered on diplomacy, Patriot interceptor shortages, additional air-defense assistance through the PURL initiative and proposed new sanctions against Russia.
“I informed about the shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles and Russian strikes on our people,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said the meeting also covered a bipartisan US sanctions bill against Russia. He stressed that sustained pressure on Moscow remains crucial and said the proposed legislation “can really help peace.”
“I am grateful to the senators and congressmen for their respect for our soldiers and our operations, and for their assurance that support for Ukraine will continue. Thank you to the United States and to every caring American heart for your support,” he wrote.
South Korea and Bulgaria
Later, Zelensky held his first meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
The Ukrainian leader welcomed Seoul’s recent decision to allocate a $100 million support package for Ukraine and instructed his team to follow up on the agreements reached during the talks.
Later, Zelensky reported on a meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, stressing the importance of strengthening bilateral ties.
“Today we discussed this. In particular, energy issues: we can implement a lot together, primarily regarding LNG,” Zelensky said.
Europe’s dependence on Russian energy resources continues to decline, making it increasingly important for partners to develop alternative energy sources, Zelensky said.
“Rumen spoke about his diplomatic contacts and what Bulgaria is doing to strengthen security in the Black Sea. We agreed that our teams will remain in close contact. I also invited the Prime Minister to visit Ukraine,” he added.
Trump meeting
The day’s centerpiece was Zelensky’s meeting with Trump.
During their joint appearance, Trump announced that the US plans to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defense systems.
“I’ve got a little bird telling me that we’re going to give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to make them,” Trump said.
Trump also confirmed that Washington is discussing Ukraine’s ability to strike deeper inside Russian territory. Asked about the issue, he referred the question to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the aim is for Russia to “see how difficult it is to defend its own airspace” in hopes of encouraging negotiations.
Trump acknowledged that such a policy represents “an escalation,” but argued that “it’s an escalation that could lead to the end of the war.”
The US president also said relations with Zelensky had improved significantly since their tense Oval Office meeting earlier this year.
“We have developed a good relationship with Zelensky. From the Oval Office to now,” Trump said.
He added that ending Russia’s war against Ukraine had proven far more difficult than expected.
“We’ve settled a lot of wars. And this one is the one that I thought maybe would be the easiest.”
Trump also mentioned upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked what message he should convey.
Responding to Trump’s question about whether he would travel to Moscow for negotiations, Zelensky replied with a touch of humor, saying Ukrainian drones are already flying there and that perhaps a venue for talks could instead be found somewhere in Europe.
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