Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United States on Tuesday for a crucial meeting with President Donald Trump, as Kyiv seeks stronger American support to counter Russia’s escalating ballistic missile attacks.Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine’s priorities in a post on X, making it clear where Kyiv’s immediate focus lies. He stated that, “Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America.Zelensky further said that the memory of Senator Lindsey Graham would be honoured on behalf of all of Ukraine. He added that those attending the ceremony in Washington would remember Graham’s commitment to security and freedom across the transatlantic community and around the world.The Ballistic threatUkraine’s renewed push for stronger anti-ballistic defences comes as Russia increasingly relies on ballistic missiles to carry out strikes across the country. According to Ukrainian officials, these weapons have become one of Moscow’s most dangerous tools because they travel at extremely high speeds and are far more difficult to intercept than cruise missiles or drones.Speaking at the launch of the new European-backed ballistic missile defence initiative, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s continued use of ballistic missiles was one of the main reasons Ukraine and its partners were accelerating efforts to build a stronger missile shield.Despite Europe’s push to develop its own ballistic missile defence capability, the US-made Patriot system remains Ukraine’s most effective defence against Russian ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly credited Patriot batteries with intercepting Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Kinzhal air-launched missiles.However, the limited number of Patriot batteries and interceptor missiles has left Ukraine struggling to defend all of its critical infrastructure as Russia continues to launch large-scale missile barrages.Trump backs local production of Patriot interceptorsRecognising Ukraine’s growing demand for interceptor missiles, US President Donald Trump has backed a plan to help Kyiv manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles domestically under a US licence. The proposal marks a shift from relying solely on military aid towards building Ukraine’s long-term defence industrial capacity.The initiative was first announced during the Nato summit in Ankara, where Trump said the United States would license the production of Patriot interceptors for Ukraine.If implemented, the plan would allow Ukraine to produce interceptor missiles in cooperation with US defence companies, helping reduce dependence on overseas deliveries at a time when global demand for Patriot missiles continues to outpace production.A few days before his visit to Washington, Zelenskyy met a delegation from US defence giant Raytheon led by Vice President Joseph DeAntona to discuss expanding defence cooperation. Thanking the company for its continued support, he said Ukraine had long relied on Raytheon’s equipment to protect its people from Russian attacks.“I am grateful for the company’s readiness to take our partnership to an even higher level, where Ukraine would co-produce, together with Raytheon, some of the most vital air defense assets, Patriot interceptors. This is what President Trump and I discussed in Ankara, and it’s time we moved forward on this”, Zelenskky wrote in his X post.
