Zelensky and Trump have a phone conversation: discuss air defense, Russian strikes and joint defense projects
4 July 2025 18:03
On July 4, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. This was announced by the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. Later, Zelenskyy confirmed the fact of the conversation and shared the details, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the Ukrainian president, the parties discussed
- the latest Russian air attacks and the overall situation at the front;
- opportunities to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense;
- the prospects for joint defense projects between Kyiv and Washington, particularly in the production of drones and high-tech weapons;
- mutual procurement and investment;
- diplomatic interaction with international partners.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Trump is “very well informed” about the events in Ukraine and expressed gratitude for his attention to security issues. It was also agreed to hold a meeting at the team level to continue negotiations.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also congratulated Donald Trump and the entire American people on Independence Day and thanked them for their support.
The day before, on July 3, US President Trump had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. The conversation concerned, among other things, Russia’s war against Ukraine. Trump said he was very disappointed with their conversation. He said he saw no signs that Putin was going to stop.
What was the background?
The phone conversation took place against the backdrop of information about the US suspending the supply of certain types of weapons to Ukraine. As reported earlier, this decision was made by the head of the Pentagon’s political department, Elbridge Colby, allegedly because of fears of a reduction in American arsenals.
The Pentagon, according to PBS journalists, has suspended the supply of PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the Patriot, 155 mm artillery shells, GMLRS missiles for HIMARS, Stinger man-portable air defense systems, and AIM-7 and Hellfire missiles.
According to the Financial Times, Kyiv has provided the Trump administration with an updated list of needed weapons and is ready to purchase new military aid packages on its own.
