Zelensky hails 'good' Trump talks in push for more support against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed a 'good meeting' with US counterpart Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, saying they discussed licenses to produce Patriot air-defence interceptors and ways to revive negotiations with Russia. "Thank you for everything we do together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and advance peace," Zelensky said afterward in a statement on X. "The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help," he added. "We also spoke about diplomacy - it's important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated." The talks took place after Trump announced at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this month that he would give Ukraine a licence to make Patriot defence systems. Since returning to power last year, Trump has ended direct deliveries of US arms to Kyiv, instead allowing European countries to buy weapons for Ukraine. Ahead of the meeting, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Kyiv's priorities were fresh supplies of anti-ballistic missiles and ways to revive diplomacy, more than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is crucial that Washington approve the purchase of a package of Patriot missiles. That is super important," the Ukrainian official said.