A new meeting between Ukraine and the United States on the issue of settling the military conflict could be held next week, Volodymyr Zelensky said at a meeting with journalists.
“We believe that our meeting with the Americans could take place next week“, the RBC-Ukraine agency quoted him as saying.
Ukraine is ready to buy a large package of weapons from the United States, which will include Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (ZRK), Zelensky said.
"We don't want it for free," he said at a meeting with journalists, quoted by the Ukrinform agency.
Zelensky indicated that he had already told US President Donald Trump about Kiev's readiness to buy 10 anti-aircraft missile systems Patriot defense. "I told him on the phone, give us at least 10 Patriot air defense systems, he said.
„There are many different formats and tools that we are ready for. We were ready to find $30 billion or $50 billion for the appropriate package.“
On March 23, negotiations took place in Riyadh between the US and Ukrainian delegations. On March 24, a meeting of representatives of Russia and the US was held in Riyadh. On March 25, delegations from Washington and Kiev held a new round of negotiations in the capital of Saudi Arabia. On the Ukrainian side, the meetings were attended by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Zelensky's deputy chief of staff Pavlo Palisa, as well as representatives of the armed forces and energy specialists. The parameters of a 30-day ceasefire at energy facilities were discussed, as well as issues of shipping safety in the Black Sea.
Zelensky has already instructed Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to intensify contacts with Western countries regarding the transfer of air defense systems to Kiev and the localization of their production. On April 8, Zelensky complained that the United States was not transferring additional Patriots to Ukraine, despite having a large number of systems. On Wednesday, he specified that Ukraine needs at least 10 Patriot systems.