Zelensky discusses air defense with Trump after Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy grid
Editor's note: The article was updated with additional details.
President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 11, discussing Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy grid and U.S. peace efforts in the Middle East, Zelensky said.
The conversation follows a mass Russian drone and missile attack on Oct. 10 that caused blackouts in Kyiv and across Ukrainian regions.
"I informed President Trump about Russia's attacks on our energy system — and I appreciate his willingness to support us," Zelensky said on X, praising the discussion as "very positive and productive."
The White House has not yet commented on the conversation.
The Ukrainian president said that the two discussed "concrete agreements" on strengthening Ukraine's air defenses.
Last month, the Trump administration approved its first military support package for Ukraine under the NATO-funded Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).
These supplies included Patriot air defense ammunition, a crucial weapon for downing Russian ballistic missiles regularly used in attacks on Ukraine.
The discussions also concerned the potential supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine, Axios reported, citing two undisclosed sources. It remains unclear whether any decision has been made on the matter during the 30-minute conversation.
The Tomahawk is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile designed for precision strikes. With a range of 1,600 to 2,500 kilometers (995 to 1,550 miles), it would allow Kyiv to reach targets as far as Siberia.
The U.S. president said on Oct. 6 that he has "sort of made a decision" on whether to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk long-range missiles, but wants "to find out what they're doing with them."
During the call, Zelensky also praised Trump for his peace efforts in the Middle East after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
"If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well — including the Russian war," Zelensky said, calling upon Moscow to engage "in real diplomacy."
Trump has repeatedly pledged to broker a speedy peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow, but the efforts have largely stalled as Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and escalates attacks on Ukraine.
The two leaders previously met at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23, after which Trump declared that Ukraine is capable of liberating all of its territory in an unexpected shift in rhetoric.
A day before his call with Trump, Zelensky held phone calls with European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
