Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced late Wednesday evening that he had a joint phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron following the conclusion of the G7 summit in Evian.
Zelenskiy described the call as highly significant, writing on Telegram: “This was an important coordinating conversation which could change a great deal.”
In the same post, he expressed appreciation to both leaders, stating: “I am grateful to President Trump for his attention to Ukraine and for his readiness to help bring peace closer. I am grateful to Emmanuel for the excellent organisation of the summit and the consistently strong joint work.”
In a follow-up message on Telegram, Zelenskiy revealed he had also sat down with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels to go over the results of the Evian summit. He noted that securing U.S. licenses to manufacture air defense systems was among the top priorities discussed, writing: “The main thing is working on strengthening our defence and getting U.S. licences to produce air defence systems.”
Zelenskiy thanked Rutte for his continued backing and committed to making the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara productive for Ukraine’s defense efforts next month.
The Ukrainian president also highlighted the importance of a Thursday gathering of the Ramstein group — a coalition of more than 50 nations that provides both financial and military support to Kyiv. European Union leaders are also set to convene separately on Thursday.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhail Fedorov stated Wednesday that Ukraine is requesting an additional $20 billion in military assistance from its allies. A Ukrainian defense source had previously told Reuters last week that the request would be formally presented at the Ramstein group meeting.
