Trump hands Zelensky major wins, with Putin on the ropes

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President Trump on Wednesday kindled a significant thaw in relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the two met on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, as Ukraine seizes the initiative in its more than four-year war against Russia.

Trump announced the U.S. would buy Ukrainian drones and, even more importantly, gave a green light for Ukraine to co-produce Patriot interceptors, a move that could significantly improve its air defenses in the years ahead.

The Trump-Zelensky bonhomie signaled the latest shift in an historically fraught relationship. Trump has railed against U.S. funds provided to Ukraine throughout the Biden administration and has put pressure on Zelensky in private and public to cede territory to Russia as part of a deal to end the war.

But speaking in front of reporters on Wednesday, Trump remarked on warming up to Zelensky since a disastrous blow-up in the Oval Office between the two leaders in February 2025.

“We’ve actually developed a good relationship. It’s hard to believe, right? From the Oval Office to now, I think we’ve developed a very good relationship,” Trump said.

Offering a window into the toll of the U.S. war against Iran, Trump said the U.S. does not have “many” Patriot interceptors left, when asked if he would transfer any of the missiles directly to Ukraine.

“We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool, right? This way you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough,” Trump said to Zelensky.

Trump said he still needed to inform the “company” and added “but that’ll work out all right.”

Lockheed Martin, which produces Patriot interceptors, already has a massive backlog of global Patriot orders and has told U.S. allies it’s up to the Pentagon to decide who gets priority.

It’s unclear how quickly Ukraine might be able to stand up its own production facilities, but the announcement still marks a turning point for Kyiv.

Zelensky has carried out a years-long campaign advocating for a license to co-produce the interceptors, which are badly needed in Ukraine to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks. Russian salvos against Ukraine have increased in intensity in response to successful Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia on military targets and oil production sites.

Trump, during the meeting with Zelensky, gave his tacit approval to Ukraine’s pressure strategy against Russian President Vladimir Putin by bringing the war across the border.

“It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that could help lead to an end,” Trump said.

The press conference between the two leaders appeared to demonstrate the best-case scenario for Ukraine and its supporters among NATO members, who had worried Trump’s animosity toward the alliance and his routine deference to Putin would undermine support for Kyiv and NATO.

“Many suspected that Ukraine would remain in the background because it could be a divisive issue within the alliance. Instead, several impactful and concrete announcements were made that will have an effect on the battlefield,” said Luke Coffey, a senior fellow with the Hudson Institute.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishyna, welcomed Trump’s remarks and called for “turning these positive signals into concrete decisions,” in a statement to The Hill.

“Expanding cooperation on Patriot missile capabilities reflects a shared understanding that Ukraine must have the means to protect its people and critical infrastructure,” she said, adding that the announcement signals confidence in Ukraine’s domestic military production, which has expanded from drones to cruise missiles.

“Ukraine has proven it can develop and produce even the most sophisticated defense technologies. This partnership is about more than helping Ukraine defend itself — it is about strengthening the future security of the entire transatlantic community,” she said.

Trump’s remarks also drew bipartisan support, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the outgoing ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urging the president to “seal the deal” on buying drones from Ukraine, in a post on X.

Shaheen led a bipartisan delegation to the NATO summit and met with Zelensky alongside Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio).

“Putin is at his weakest position in years and real sustained pressure can finally bring this war to a close,” the lawmakers said in a statement after meeting Zelensky.

Putin is facing a crisis at home, facing attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and a contracting economy under pressure from international sanctions and increased spending on the war.

Trump last spoke with Putin by phone on July 4. The president repeated his claims that he believes the Russian president is looking for a deal to end the war and said he would speak with him again on Wednesday.

“We have a lot of pressure on President Putin,” Trump said Wednesday.

“I don’t think he likes what’s going on. I don’t think he’s thrilled with what’s happening. There’s a lot of pressure on President Putin to get it done.”

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Chris Coons

Dick Durbin

Jeanne Shaheen

Joe Biden

Lindsey Graham

Mike Rounds

Mike Turner

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

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