Zelenskyy pitches US exchange: Air defence for Ukraine’s mineral resources

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed new details about his meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in the Vatican on April 26. 

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy described the conversation as productive and expressed confidence in the results achieved, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian press.

“I believe that with President Trump, we had the best conversation of all. It may have been the shortest, but it was the most substantive. With all due respect to our teams, the one-on-one format worked very well,” Zelenskyy remarked, reflecting on the importance of the private discussion.

One key topic of their conversation was the U.S. support for Ukraine’s defence capabilities. Zelenskyy noted that the agreement regarding natural resources provided a framework for the protection of future U.S. investments in Ukraine. He explained that one of the critical areas of focus is strengthening Ukraine’s air defence systems.

“I told him about the necessary quantity of air defence systems, and he promised that they would work on this. These are not free items,” Zelenskyy emphasised. “We are also ready to have access to purchase American weapons to further protect our nation.”

Ukraine is anticipating significant financial assistance from the U.S. over the next two years. Zelenskyy stated that, according to previous decisions made by the U.S. Congress, $15 billion is allocated for 2025, which includes weaponry. Additionally, another $15 billion is earmarked for 2026, totalling a significant $30 billion for Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction.

“There is $15 billion for 2025 based on the decisions made by Congress a year ago. And another $15 billion has been allocated for 2026. The question now is whether this money will reach us or not. These are substantial sums—$30 billion in total,” said Zelenskyy.

On May 1, Ukraine and the U.S. signed an economic cooperation agreement known as the "Resource Agreement." The agreement was signed by Ukraine's First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. According to Svyrydenko, this agreement could potentially allow Washington to provide new air defence systems for Ukraine, aimed at protecting cities from Russian missile strikes. However, this issue was not actively discussed during the Trump administration's tenure.

Zelenskyy also recalled that during the meeting with Trump, he expressed a willingness to make concessions for peace, provided that Ukraine receives sufficient security guarantees. “I told him that we are ready for compromises to end the war, but for that, we need reliable security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.

By Tamilla Hasanova