Zelenskyy to Visit U.S. for Talks on Long-Range Weapons Aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Monday that he will travel to the United States this week for talks on the potential provision of long-range weapons. His visit comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia that he may supply Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles.

Zelenskyy said a meeting with Trump could take place as early as Friday. He also plans to meet with defense and energy companies, as well as members of Congress. “The main topics will be air defense and our long-range capabilities, to maintain pressure on Russia,” he said during a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.

The Ukrainian president also aims to seek additional U.S. assistance to protect Ukraine’s electricity and gas networks, which have faced sustained Russian attacks. His visit follows what he described as a “very productive” phone call with Trump on Sunday. The U.S. leader’s warning to Russia highlighted that long-range missiles could enable Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.

Moscow has expressed “extreme concern” over the possible U.S. supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously suggested that providing long-range weapons to Ukraine could severely damage U.S.-Russia relations.

Zelenskyy will join a Ukrainian delegation already in the U.S. for preliminary talks, led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Recent weeks have seen intensified Russian attacks targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure ahead of winter, including strikes near the Black Sea port of Odesa and in the northern Chernihiv region, where one person was killed.

Kallas reaffirmed continued EU pressure on Moscow and expressed optimism that objections from Hungary regarding a new sanctions package would be resolved, even if discussions extend past next week’s EU leaders’ meeting. “On funding, the needs are enormous. We must help Ukraine defend itself so we don’t later spend even more repairing destroyed infrastructure,” she said. “We are 27 member states, and 27 democracies, so debates take time … I’m positive that, as before, we’ll achieve a decision.”