Ukraine Seeks U.S. Weapons Before Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting Friday/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Ukrainian leaders met with top U.S. weapons manufacturers, including Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, ahead of President Zelenskyy’s upcoming talks with Donald Trump. Kyiv is requesting cruise missiles, advanced air defenses, and drone collaboration amid continued fighting with Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck a Russian oil terminal and suffered power grid attacks.
Ukraine’s U.S. Arms Push: Quick Looks
- Ukrainian officials met with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin before White House talks
- Zelenskyy expected to request Tomahawk missiles from Trump at upcoming meeting
- Ukraine seeks air defenses, cruise missiles, and joint drone manufacturing
- U.S. hesitant to approve Tomahawks, fearing war escalation with Russia
- Trump warns Putin, hinting Tomahawk deployment if war continues
- NATO ministers meet in Brussels to revive European aid to Ukraine
- U.S.-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund near launch, with focus on minerals, energy
- Ukraine hits Russian oil terminal in Crimea, damaging 16 fuel tanks
- Russia retaliates with airstrikes, hitting thermal power plants in Ukraine
- Ukrainian blackouts reported amid worsening energy attacks
Deep Look: Ukraine Presses for U.S. Weapons and Investment Before Trump-Zelenskyy Summit
KYIV, Ukraine — October 15, 2025
Top Ukrainian officials have traveled to the United States to meet with major defense contractors and finalize economic agreements just days before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to hold high-stakes talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
The Ukrainian delegation, led by Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, met with executives from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, two of the most influential arms manufacturers in the world. Both companies play a critical role in supplying Ukraine with high-tech weaponry as the country continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, now in its third year.
Yermak confirmed the meetings in a Telegram post but did not provide detailed outcomes. He noted that cooperation with the American defense giants is “growing,” signaling Ukraine’s continued dependence on advanced U.S. military technology.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Yermak, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Ukraine is specifically seeking Patriot air defense systems, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and new joint drone production agreements — capabilities that could shift battlefield dynamics.
Raytheon’s Patriot systems have already proven vital in defending Ukraine from Russian aerial assaults. However, the Tomahawk missile, also made by Raytheon, is of particular interest due to its ability to strike deep into Russian territory, potentially reaching Moscow with precision and heavy payloads.
Lockheed Martin, producer of HIMARS and other sophisticated systems, also has technologies Ukraine hopes to access as part of a broader modernization of its defense capabilities.
Geopolitical Stakes of Missile Requests
While Ukraine has publicly expressed interest in acquiring Tomahawks before, the issue remains controversial. Washington has hesitated, concerned that such a move could escalate the conflict and draw the U.S. deeper into confrontation with Russia.
However, Trump recently signaled a shift in tone. In remarks on Sunday, the former president issued a warning to the Kremlin: if Moscow does not make progress toward ending the war, he may approve shipments of Tomahawks to Ukraine. The statement is being interpreted as a negotiating tactic designed to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In response, Putin downplayed the effectiveness of Tomahawks, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the possibility “extremely concerning.”
Defense and Economic Deals in Parallel
On the economic front, Prime Minister Svyrydenko met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to finalize the U.S.-Ukraine Reinvestment Fund — a strategic initiative intended to facilitate American investment in Ukraine’s critical minerals, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Svyrydenko indicated the fund is only “a few decisions away” from activation, with early projects already forming in priority sectors.
The fund represents a deeper form of U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and could open the door to long-term economic cooperation between American companies and Ukrainian industries — especially in the mining and energy sectors where Ukraine holds vast untapped resources.
War Continues on the Ground
While diplomacy and defense talks proceed abroad, the war continues unabated. Ukrainian forces carried out a precision strike on a Russian oil terminal in Feodosia, a strategic city in Russian-occupied Crimea. The attack reportedly damaged 16 fuel storage tanks, disrupting supply lines critical to Russian military operations in southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the strike in a Telegram update, describing it as a continuation of efforts to undermine Russia’s fuel logistics and economic capacity to sustain its offensive.
Meanwhile, Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest oil and gas company, reported that one of its thermal power plants was struck overnight by a Russian missile attack. This is part of a broader Kremlin campaign to cripple Ukraine’s power infrastructure ahead of the winter season.
As a result, two Ukrainian regions reported blackouts, with fears growing that energy shortages will intensify as colder months approach.
NATO Support in Focus
In Brussels, NATO defense ministers met to discuss how to maintain military support for Ukraine after a sharp decline in European aid over the summer. With Canada and several European nations now purchasing U.S.-made weapons for Kyiv, transatlantic cooperation remains critical to Ukraine’s war effort.
Whether the U.S. will green-light the delivery of Tomahawk missiles — or expand existing military-industrial cooperation — could shape the future of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, deter further aggression, and potentially retake occupied territories.
Zelenskyy’s upcoming meeting with Trump may prove pivotal not only for Ukraine’s battlefield strategy but for the broader geopolitical alignment in Eastern Europe.
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