Zelenskyy, Trump speaks of air defense as Russia intensifies attacks against Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that he had a “very important and productive” telephone call with President Donald Trump.

The two leaders discussed how the Ukrainian air defenses could be strengthened, a possible production of joint weapons between the United States and Ukraine, and wider efforts led by the United States to end the war with Russia, according to a Zelenskyy statement.

“I had a very important and fruitful conversation with @potus,” Zelenskyy wrote on x. “I congratulated President Trump and the Entire American People on the Us Independence Day. We – in Ukraine – Are Grateful for All The Support Provided. It Helps Us Protect Lives, Safeguard Our Freedom and independence. Have Achieved a Lot Together with America and we support all efforts to stop the Killings and Restore Just, Lasting, and Dignified Peace.

Zelenskyy said he and Trump “discussed the current situation, including Russian air strikes and broader leading developments.”

Trump shares a nice exchange with a Ukrainian journalist whose husband is fighting at war

President Donald Trump speaks to journalists on the Air Force One, on the way to Joint Base Andrews, MD., At Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, NJ, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP photo / Jacquelyn Martin)

“President Trump is very well informed and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine,” he continued. “We talked about air defense opportunities and agreed that we will work together to strengthen the protection of our sky. We also accepted a meeting between our teams. We had a detailed conversation on the capacities of the defense industry and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and think that this is critical for security, in particular with regard to drones and linked technologies.

Questioned by journalists on the Air Force on Friday evening, Trump said that he and Zelenskyy had “a very good call, I think that a very strategic call”.

“Well, we help them, and we will continue to help them,” said Trump about Ukrainians. “This is a fairly difficult situation. We will see what is going on. I told you that I was very unhappy with my call with President Putin. And it seems that he wanted to go to the end and continue to kill people. No good. It’s not good. I was not satisfied with him.”

When asked if the United States would sell more patriotic missiles to Ukraine, Trump said, “Yes, we can. We look at him.”

“They need it for the defense. I don’t want to see people killed. They will need it for the defense. They are incredibly effective,” said Trump. “They will need something because they are hardly affected.”

When asked if he threatened Putin with personally sanctions, Trump said: “We are talking about a lot of sanctions, yes.”

“I would say he’s not delighted,” said Trump. “He was able to manage the sanctions, but these are quite biting sanctions. No, we are talking about a lot of sanctions. And he understands that it can happen, and, you know, he is a professional.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a press conference at the Château de Marselisborg on July 3, 2025 in Aarhus, Denmark. (Martin Sylvest Andersen / Getty Images)

Zelenskyy thanks Trump hard, America for Ukraine supports months after Vance jab on the lack of gratitude

The United States has interrupted certain military aid expeditions to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles, for the sake of American stocks after the Israeli-Iranian conflict. The main European donors in Ukraine are considering how they can help take over. Zelenskyy says that the plans are underway to build the national weapons industry of Ukraine, but the scaling will take time.

Trump said he also discussed Ukraine’s request for Patriotic Missiles with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, but they have not yet made a decision.

“No, we talked about it, however, and he thinks, you know, they must be protected. He is a strong guy, and a very intelligent man,” said Trump about Merz.

Trump said early Friday that he was “very disappointed” by his phone call with Putin, adding: “I don’t think he is trying to stop, and it’s a shame.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on the development of annexed “new regions” in Ukraine, in Kremlin, June 30, 2025, in Moscow. (Contributor / Getty Images)

Putin’s assistant Yuri Ushakov has published a summary of what he said was an hour’s conversation between Trump and the chief of Russia. He said Putin told Trump that Russia “would not back up his goals” concerning the Ukraine War.

“Naturally, the problems surrounding Ukraine were also discussed. Donald Trump once again raised the question of the implementation of hostilities as soon as possible. In turn, Vladimir Putin noted that we continued to seek a political and negotiated conflict solution,” said Moscow reading. “He also noted that Russia was willing to make negotiations.

Russia has intensified its long -term attacks against Ukraine. The waves of drones and missiles targeted kyiv overnight Thursday until Friday in the largest air assault since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

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Ukraine said that it had struck a Russian air base on Saturday, while the Russian bombing campaign highlighted a breakthrough in the efforts to end the more than three years.

The military staff of Ukraine said that the Ukrainian forces had struck Borisoglebsk air base in the Russian Voronezh region, describing it as the attachment base of the HIA 34, SU-35 and SU-30SM hunting aircraft.

Sarah Tobianski of Fox News, Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.