Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Oct 17: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed hope that the momentum of the recent Middle East peace accord could pave the way for ending the ongoing war in Ukraine. Zelensky made the remarks shortly after arriving in the United States on Thursday for high-level discussions on defence cooperation and arms support.
“Tomorrow, a meeting with President Donald Trump is scheduled, and we expect that the momentum of curbing terror and war which succeeded in the Middle East will help to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a post on X. “The language of strength and justice will inevitably work against Russia,” he added.
The meeting between the two leaders is expected to focus on Ukraine’s request for long-range US-made Tomahawk missiles — weapons capable of reaching Moscow from Ukrainian territory. Zelensky noted that even discussions about such missiles had prompted “an immediate reaction from Moscow,” suggesting that Russia was eager to resume talks once reports of the proposed supply surfaced.
The Ukrainian President is also set to meet representatives of leading US defence firms to discuss additional supplies of advanced air defence systems aimed at protecting Ukraine’s key infrastructure from sustained Russian attacks.
Zelensky’s visit comes just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise phone call with Trump, warning that supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could endanger ongoing peace efforts. Both leaders reportedly agreed to hold another round of discussions, possibly in Budapest, in the coming weeks.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the nearly four-year conflict have been losing steam in recent months. The last summit between Putin and Trump, held in Alaska on August 15, failed to yield any breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have intensified missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s power and transport infrastructure, forcing the country to impose nationwide rolling blackouts for the second consecutive day amid plunging temperatures. Moscow’s renewed bombardment comes as its ground offensive appears to have stalled, further straining Ukraine’s already battered energy grid.