Zelensky Orders Expanded U.S. Talks to Secure Air Defense Systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 8 July he has instructed Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to intensify contacts with the United States to secure “critical deliveries” of military supplies, with priority on additional air-defense systems. Zelenskyy described the directive as necessary to translate recent U.S. political commitments into rapid shipments that would protect Ukrainian civilians and front-line positions. The push underscores Kyiv’s heightened focus on bolstering its air shield amid sustained Russian missile and drone attacks. While Washington remains Ukraine’s largest defense partner, the flow of U.S. assistance has slowed in recent months as Congress debates new funding packages. Zelenskyy signaled expectations of air-defense equipment and unspecified “other elements of supplies” arriving “very soon,” but did not detail quantities or timelines.