Zelenskyy says he agreed to work with Trump to boost air defense

Aliaksandr Kudrytski, Bloomberg News on Jul 4, 2025

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Donald Trump agreed to cooperate on air defense as the Ukrainian leader sought to press Washington to resume key weapons deliveries.

The two leaders held a phone call hours after Russia unleashed one of the biggest air strikes on the Ukrainian capital since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022. The U.S. leader also had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, after which Trump said he was “very disappointed” by the talks.

“We spoke about opportunities in air defense and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies,” Zelenskyy said in a post on social media platform X on Friday, adding that teams from their governments will meet. Trump was “well informed” about the recent strikes, he said.

The phone diplomacy signaled a renewed attempt by Trump to make good on his campaign promise to bring a swift end to the war as it approaches the three-and-a-half-year mark. Efforts have been stymied as Russia maintains its maximalist position.

The Ukrainian leader also aimed to address an abrupt U.S. decision to suspend the transfer of artillery rounds and air defense to Ukraine, a move that took Zelenskyy’s government and allies off guard. Among the weapons being stopped are 155mm artillery shells and Patriot air-defense missiles, which are key for Ukraine to repel air attacks.

The conversation was “very important and fruitful,” Zelenskyy said.

Germany meanwhile is in advanced talks with the U.S. to secure at least two additional Patriot systems for Ukraine. Chancellor Friedrich Merz held his own call with Trump to push the plan on Thursday, according to a government official who declined to be identified as discussions take place behind closed doors.

Berlin is willing to provide Kyiv with two additional Patriot systems, including interceptor missiles, and cover the full costs for the much-needed deliveries, the official said.

Trump, who has often echoed the Kremlin narrative in the conflict and has lashed out at Zelenskyy, earlier expressed frustration with Putin. The Russian leader made clear that he will “will not back down” from his war aims, according to a Kremlin readout.

“I don’t think he’s looking to stop and that’s too bad,” Trump told reporters. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said later that the Kremlin is paying close attention to the U.S. leader’s statements, Interfax reported.

Russian forces fired more than 500 drones and missiles, mostly targeting Kyiv, in overnight attacks that lasted more than 11 hours. Ukrainian air defense said 478 aerial targets were intercepted, while city authorities registered at least one dead and 26 injured.

As Russia’s air attacks have escalated, the Kremlin’s troops have made only incremental gains on the battlefield and at an increasingly steep human cost. The number of Moscow’s casualties since the start of the invasion, including soldiers killed and wounded, is estimated to have climbed above 1 million last month.

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—With assistance from Michael Nienaber.