President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara as Ukraine pressed for additional Patriot system missiles amid ammunition shortages and continued Russian attacks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday morning, as Ukraine seeks additional U.S.-made ammunition and air defense support during the continuing war with Russia.
Video of the meeting was shared through a YouTube livestream as the two leaders met during the summit.
The meeting began shortly before 9 a.m. ET and came as Zelensky was expected to make a direct appeal to Trump for help replenishing American-made weapons that Ukraine considers central to its defense, according to ABC.
Ukraine’s most urgent request centers on missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which have been used heavily as Russia continues missile and drone attacks.
“We need to find a way to get as quick as possible, as much as possible, missiles for Patriot systems. This is the most important thing,” Zelensky said Tuesday during a defense industry forum at the alliance’s annual summit.
The Trump-Zelensky meeting took place as U.S. Patriot PAC-3 interceptor missile use in Ukraine and the Middle East has sharply exceeded current production capacity, creating what was described as a critical global shortage while the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
Russia has tried to take advantage of that shortfall by carrying out concentrated bombardments involving ballistic missiles and drone swarms against Ukrainian targets. Those attacks have strained Ukraine’s defenses and resulted in scores of civilian deaths.
The meeting also came as Russia has escalated attacks on Ukrainian military and energy sites around Kyiv.
Trump has been increasingly critical of NATO, including European allies he has faulted for refusing to provide assistance in Iran.
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