Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that a team of Ukrainian negotiators would travel to the United States on Friday and Saturday for talks focused on strengthening air defences and providing additional means to protect Ukraine, as Kyiv intensifies contacts with Washington and its European partners over its defence needs.
Zelenskyy said at a press conference in the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky that the negotiating team was in Europe on Thursday before travelling to the United States. He said the talks would include conveying what he called “necessary signals” to the US side, discussing ways to increase pressure on Russia and securing additional means of protecting Ukraine, foremost among them air-defence systems.
European partners may join Washington talks
The Ukrainian president said European partners could join the Ukrainian-US talks in the coming days, as Kyiv seeks to broaden European participation in its contacts with Washington. The moves come as Ukraine and European countries continue coordinating on sanctions against Russia and military support for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had “responded in kind” to Russian attacks targeting Ukrainian data centres, without specifying the nature or scope of the response. He made the comment while discussing a mutual escalation in attacks on infrastructure, as Kyiv urges its allies to provide more of the capabilities needed to protect critical facilities and cities.
Russian attacks kill 78 and injure 215
According to the information available, Russian strikes in recent days hit energy facilities in the capital Kyiv, an industrial facility in the city of Dnipro and transport infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia. The attacks also hit residential buildings in Kremenchuk, as Ukrainian authorities make protecting energy and transport facilities and residential areas a priority in their defence requests to allies.
In Pryluky, in Chernihiv region, a Russian missile hit a five-storey residential building, partially destroying it, according to Reuters. The city also hosted the press conference at which Zelenskyy discussed the Ukrainian delegation’s programme and the forthcoming talks in the United States.
Air defence tops Kyiv’s demands
Air-defence systems top the list of demands Kyiv is making of its allies as attacks on cities and infrastructure intensify. In his contacts with European partners, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of strengthening Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and providing the means needed to protect infrastructure and critical facilities from strikes.
As part of these contacts, Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine’s financial and defence needs with European Council President António Costa on Thursday.
European countries continue to discuss ways to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, while Kyiv seeks to link these efforts to forthcoming talks with the US side and discuss additional tools for putting pressure on Russia.
