Zelensky asks senators for air defenses, says Ukraine is winning war

Volodymyr Zelensky said he and US president Donald Trump discussed licences to produce interceptors for the Patriot air defence system, along with other proposals aimed at helping end the Ukraine-Russia war.WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday discussed reviving peace talks with Russia and plans for Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors, then attended the funeral of a US senator who had been one of Kyiv's most vocal backers.Zelensky met Trump privately in the Oval Office before a service honouring Senator Lindsey Graham in the afternoon. He also held talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb at a Washington hotel and met with US senators at the US Capitol.The whirlwind visit offered Zelensky a chance to shore up US military support for Ukraine when relations are warmer than they have been in months. The US, however, has been sitting on aid for Kyiv and Graham's death means the loss of one of Ukraine's most influential advocates in Washington.Zelensky told reporters that he emphasized Ukraine's need for anti-ballistic missile systems and interceptors during his meetings with Trump and the senators, while welcoming new US legislation advancing sweeping Russian energy sanctions.Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine had drones that could destroy Iranian- and Russian-built drones but needed more weapons to defend against ballistic missiles fired by Moscow."The real problem is anti-ballistic systems and anti-ballistic missiles," he said after a meeting with senators at the US Capitol.

"And of course, I (shared) what we need."Earlier, on Telegram, he said that he had a "good meeting" with Trump and they had discussed the US leader's promise at a Nato summit this month to grant Ukraine a license to produce its own Patriot missile interceptors.As Russia has stepped up its air attacks, Ukraine has run chronically low on supplies of Patriots, which remain the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing ballistic missiles."We talked with the president about licenses for producing interceptors for the Patriots and other ideas that could help," Zelensky said, without providing further details."We also talked about diplomacy – it is important to step up the diplomatic process," he said, referring to stalled peace talks with Russia to end the war, now in its fifth year.US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Ku… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with senators in the Capitol on Tuesday to press his case for additional U.S. support for Ukraine, specifically anti-ballistic missiles, and to emphasize his country's gains in the war against Russia.

The meeting occurred shortly before senators voted to advance legislation further sanctioning Russia and imposing steep tariffs on countries...