Trump and Zelensky discuss weapons for Ukraine amid escalating Russian strikes
He added in a message on Telegram that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the US leader.
Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.
A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.
One source briefed on the call said they were optimistic that supplies of Patriot missiles could resume after what they called a 'very good' conversation between the presidents.
US outlet Axios reported, citing unnamed sources, that the call lasted around 40 minutes, and that Trump told Zelensky he would check what US weapons due to be sent to Ukraine, if any, had been put on hold.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
What more can Japan give? Tokyo braces for Trump's tariffs as talks hit deadlock
With just days to go before the 90-day pause on steep US tariffs expires on Wednesday, Japanese policymakers and the public are growing increasingly frustrated over stalled negotiations and what one observer described as the 'sheer capriciousness' of President Donald Trump's escalating trade threats. Advertisement Tokyo's scramble to secure an agreement before next week's deadline comes amid growing concern that the window for diplomacy is narrowing, with many US officials away for the Independence Day holidays. While Japanese officials prepare for an eighth round of ministerial-level talks in Washington over the weekend, critics say Trump 's hardline tactics are already testing the limits of trust between the two allies – and may ultimately prompt a broader rethink in Japan over how it manages both its economic and security partnerships. 'The Japanese government has done all that it can in its talks on tariffs with the US and to give more would just weaken our economy to a dangerous point,' Japanese businessman Ken Kato said. Japan's chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa (right) leaves the US Department of Commerce in Washington after holding talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on June 27. Photo: Kyodo Kato, who owns a company that trades internationally, describes himself as a conservative and was initially supportive of Trump's return to the White House.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
US$20 billion Airbus shopping spree caps Europe tour for Malaysia's Anwar
Malaysia's biggest airlines sealed Airbus deals worth US$20 billion as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrapped up his European tour. Advertisement AirAsia reached a tentative agreement to purchase as many as 70 extended-range Airbus single-aisle jets that could reach US$12.3 billion. Malaysia Airlines ordered 20 more A330neo widebody planes, in a deal worth US$7.5 billion, according to calculations before industry discounts are applied. With aircraft diplomacy taking centre stage, the Malaysian government also said it was planning to purchase two maritime patrol aircraft for its navy, 28 Leonardo SpA AW149 helicopters, and naval vessels from Italy to bolster its security, Bernama reported on Friday, citing the prime minister. The buying spree, particularly for commercial jets, comes as both Airbus and its American rival Boeing benefit from trade visits and bilateral tariff negotiations. Tony Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia's parent company, Capital A, is planning to boost the airline' fleet with more narrow-body planes. Photo: Reuters Boeing's bumper US$96 billion deal for 210 aircraft for Qatar Airways was announced during US President Donald Trump 's Middle East tour in May. An order for 32 Boeing 787 Dreamliners by British Airways parent International Airlines Group was the centrepiece of a new US-UK trade deal. Advertisement AirAsia signed a memorandum of understanding covering 50 A321XLR jets with options for 20 more, according to a company statement on Friday.
AllAfrica
2 hours ago
- AllAfrica
Ukraine mess: finding a way forward
The recent massive bombings on Ukrainian territory and advances by the Russian army are harbingers of the end game that will befall Ukraine unless that country can find a way out. One solution is to make Ukraine a flexible actor, meaning to insulate Zelensky. The best way to do that is a coalition government to carry the burden of negotiations with Russia. Today we keep hearing from Zelensky and his cohorts that they can win the war without America, that they won't yield even one meter of Ukrainian territory to the hated Russians, that they can buy American military equipment 'on rental' or buy American hardware by using Germany as a front. Does the Ukrainian leadership actually believes what they are saying? My guess is they don't believe any of it but are trying to reassure their people. But it is hard to be reassuring when missiles and drones are exploding everywhere and you are sleeping in a shelter or a cold basement. The great blunder came in on or about March 30, 2022. That is when Boris Johnson allegedly convinced Zelensky to back out of the peace deal agreed to by the parties in Istanbul. My own reading is that Johnson gave a sort of legitimacy to a Zelensky decision to walk away from a deal with Russia, fearing that his army would topple his presidency and maybe kill him. Prior to that, as former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reported, Zelensky was afraid the Russians would kill him, and Bennett secured a pledge from Vladimir Putin not to do so. But no such pledge was possible if the threat was from ultras in the Ukrainian army. Putin (l) with Naftali Bennett . Photo: RIA Novosti Since then, Zelensky has taken a fully irredentist position on any settlement with Russia, demanding the Russian army leave Ukraine and that Putin be punished for war crimes. By his total inflexibility Zelensky has foreclosed successful mediation by the United States. To cover his tracks, Zelensky has demanded a 60 day cease fire, something the Russians would never accept, but Trump tried to sell it to Moscow, to no effect. The idea was again floated as recently as July 3rd when Putin and Trump talked for more than an hour by telephone. The problem for Ukraine, not just Zelensky, is that Ukraine is running out of weapons and soldiers and starting to lose territory at an alarming rate. As supply roads and ammunition dumps, along with command centers and factories, are destroyed, the situation worsens on a daily basis. The Russians have a number of aces in their hands. First, they have a large army with a significant reserve that they have not committed to the war yet. That compares with Ukraine's serious problems not only in recruiting new soldiers, but also in keeping them, as desertion rates have grown at an alarming pace. Russia also is bringing in more North Koreans, something that appears to strengthen North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who recently held a tearful public funeral for his soldiers killed in the Ukraine war (there were only five coffins) and a big celebratory concert extolling the virtue of sacrificing your life for the Fatherland. Russian war production is also reportedly at an all time high while Ukraine's suppliers are floundering badly. The recent 'show cause' letter the army sent to the US defense company General Dynamics, which partnered with a Turkish company, Repkon, threatened to cancel the project tasked with building a 155mm artillery production plant in Mesquite, Texas. Mesquite Ammo Plant . Photo Alan Scaia The US-government-owned new factory (the first of three) was supposed to buck up US 155mm shell production enough to comfortably supply Ukraine. Now the US Army is on the verge of firing GD because the facility is not on schedule and there are serious shortfalls in the machinery for the plant, some of which comes from Turkey. Around the same time the Army released its 'show cause' letter to GD, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that certain supplies, some of them missiles and other high tech equipment, and 155mm shells, would not be delivered to Ukraine – including some supplies already shipped to Poland. The Trump administration has been building up US capabilities in the Middle East. The Hegseth cancellation, based on badly depleted US weapons' stocks, is part of a growing concern that replenishing important systems, including Patriot air defense missiles, has not worked out as expected. The US faces manufacturing delays, supply chain problems, and labor shortages. The best that can be said is that the United States is far away from a defense industrial base that can produce sufficient war fighting equipment for extended conflict periods. Various think tanks and numerous simulations have always said the US would run out of smart weapons in a major conflict in only a few weeks. When you add that the US also cannot keep up with straightforward traditional ammunition production, the problem is seriously compounded. This leaves Ukraine in a cascading mess. Something has to give, and soon, for Ukraine to survive as an independent state. NATO is not going to intervene because the risk outweighs the benefit, as Europe would become a war zone. What is the answer? The first step is to give Trump tools he can use to barter with Russia. Zelensky has done the opposite up till now – but that game, if it continues, is suicidal. The best place to begin is to signal a willingness to accept the Istanbul agreement reached in 2022. The Russians will try to say that the Istanbul agreement is now water under the dam, but there is a chance Putin would accept it as a starting point. He has said in many speeches that the Istanbul agreement would have ended the war and Russia would have accepted it. Obviously there are Russian demands not accounted for at Istanbul that must be taken account of by the parties. The important point is that by accepting Istanbul as a starting point, US President Donald Trump would have something 'real' to start a real diplomatic process, not just a plethora of 'plans' none of which is going anywhere until the starting positions change. Ukrainian Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov (L) shakes hands with Russian negotiators prior the talks between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Belarus' Brest region on March 3, 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: MAXIM GUCHEK/BELTA/AFP via Getty Images) The second point is the US has real leverage that includes access to markets for Russia, technology sharing, commercialization and investment and rebuilding in Ukraine. Putin says he is committed to rebuilding the areas in Donetsk, Zaphorize, Kherson and Crimea that have been destroyed by the fighting. But Russia does not have either the resources or the money to do much on its own. US assistance is needed. The Russians are seeking a high level deal with the United States. The third point is the nature of Ukraine's government, which rules by decree as the Zelensky government has frozen elections and jailed, restricted or exiled opposition politicians. While it is important for Zelensky to end martial law and permit elections, an immediate step is to form a coalition government to negotiate with Russia. A coalition government spreads responsibility for any deal to all the pertinent political players, making it easier for them to make concessions. Another key benefit is that it helps protect Zelensky from accusations of a sellout. Ukraine is at an inflection point. Either it can continue and lose the war, perhaps leading to regime change and a political crisis, or it can take steps to put realistic proposals on the table, something that may require a coalition to achieve. Stephen Bryen is a special correspondent to Asia Times and a former US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy. This article, which originally appeared on his Substack newsletter Weapons and Strategy, is republished with permission.
