In a significant diplomatic breakthrough, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made strides toward improved relations during their meeting on the fringes of the NATO summit in Turkey. This development comes as Ukraine takes action in its prolonged conflict with Russia, which has dominated the past four years.
Trump revealed plans for the U.S. to purchase drones from Ukraine and, even more crucially, authorized the joint production of Patriot missile interceptors. This strategic move is expected to considerably bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities in the foreseeable future.
This growing camaraderie between Trump and Zelensky marks a notable shift in what has been a troubled diplomatic history. Trump has been a vocal critic of the financial aid the U.S. provided to Ukraine during Biden’s presidency, and he has exerted both public and private pressure on Zelensky to consider territorial concessions to Russia as part of a peace negotiation.
Nevertheless, Trump spoke positively about his evolving rapport with Zelensky during a media briefing on Wednesday, especially following a tense exchange in the Oval Office in February 2025.
“Surprisingly, we’ve built a good relationship. Looking back from that Oval Office incident to today, it’s quite remarkable how far we’ve come,” Trump commented.
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.
Olga Stefanishyna, Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., 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. In a social media post, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the outgoing ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the president to “seal the deal” on buying drones from Ukraine.
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 experiencing 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.”