Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in US for key talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland late at night, according to data from FlightAware.

His plane, an Airbus A319-115X CJ with the registration number UR-ABA, landed around 1 a.m. Kyiv time, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The presidential aircraft had departed from Shannon Airport in Ireland before reaching its final destination in the United States.

Zelenskyy made a brief stop in Ireland during the flight from Krakow, where he met with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. The stopover took place at Shannon Airport in western Ireland.

The Airbus A319-115X CJ, which is a corporate jetliner version of the common A320 family, is a VIP model used for transporting high-ranking Ukrainian officials. This aircraft, produced in 2007, was initially commissioned during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko. However, it entered service and was made available to the State Aviation Enterprise "Ukraine" during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych. In 2023, the plane underwent renovations, including a cabin upgrade by Lithuanian company J&C Aero and maintenance work carried out by Magnetic MRO at Tallinn Airport.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Zelenskyy has used the A319-115X CJ for official trips, with its first use on September 18, 2023, for a flight from Poland to the United States and then on to Canada.

Zelenskyy’s visit to the US comes amid reports of a new agreement on the development of Ukraine’s natural resources.

The Financial Times reported on February 25 that Ukraine is set to sign a deal with the United States to jointly develop mineral resources found within Ukraine. The agreement, which has already been approved by Ukraine's ministers of justice, economy, and foreign affairs, will reportedly exclude security guarantees from the US.

By Tamilla Hasanova