At the crossroads of global diplomacy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dispatched senior envoys to New York for high-stakes talks with President Trump’s team this Friday. This mission follows a whirlwind series of meetings in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland as Kyiv ramps up efforts to find a pathway to peace.
Leading the delegation are Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, fresh from mediation talks in Qatar. On Wednesday, they head to Riyadh for discussions before jetting off to Switzerland on Thursday, highlighting Kyiv’s no-stone-unturned approach to securing Western support.
In a parallel move, Zelenskiy announced the appointment of Olha Stefanishyna, former deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, as Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States. Zelenskiy charged her with reinvigorating the embassy’s work in Washington and serving as a bridge to key decision makers.
At the heart of this diplomatic push are two critical agreements: securing additional weapons for Ukraine and expanding drone supplies from the United States. Zelenskiy emphasized that full implementation of defense deals struck in Washington underpins Ukraine’s long-term security and resilience.
The diplomatic momentum follows last month’s Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and a series of Washington meetings involving Zelenskiy, President Trump and European allies. While Trump has proposed a direct Russia-Ukraine summit, Kyiv insists that any peace deal must include strong Western security guarantees to deter future aggression.
Meanwhile, Europe’s defense industry is stepping up. In Lower Saxony, Germany’s largest arms producer, Rheinmetall, opened a new ammunition plant attended by Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The facility will produce 25,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells this year, scaling up to 350,000 annually by 2027—making it Europe’s largest ammunition hub.
Germany’s commitment goes beyond production. Berlin has pledged €9 billion in aid to Ukraine and is set to deliver two additional Patriot air-defense systems on top of three already supplied. This combination of diplomatic outreach and industrial muscle underscores a broader Western effort to support Ukraine’s defense and stability.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
