During his visit to Washington on October 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with representatives of the leading American defense company Raytheon. This company manufactures the Patriot missile systems and Tomahawk cruise missiles, which play a key role in modern air defense systems.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Discussion on Defense Cooperation
During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky informed American partners about the situation on the front lines and emphasized the increase in Russian strikes against civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The parties discussed Raytheon’s production capabilities and potential areas of cooperation to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense system, increase the range of strike capabilities, and the prospects for establishing a joint Ukrainian-American defense production.
“I spoke about the situation on the battlefield and the intensification of Russian strikes against our people and civilian infrastructure. We discussed Raytheon’s production capabilities, possible avenues for our cooperation to strengthen air defense and enhance Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, as well as the prospects for Ukrainian-American production. There are solutions that can enhance the protection of lives in Ukraine. We are working at all levels to ensure their implementation,” Zelensky wrote in a Telegram post summarizing the meeting.
In addition to Raytheon, the Ukrainian president held talks with representatives of Lockheed Martin. The meeting addressed Ukraine’s urgent needs for modern air defense systems, missiles for them, and F-16 fighter jets.
Energy Partnership and Cooperation Prospects
Special attention during the visit was given to energy security issues. Zelensky met with executives and CEOs of leading American energy corporations, including Bechtel, Fluence Energy, GE Vernova, Holtec International, Invenergy, Jacobs, Mercuria, Parsons, TechMet USA, Venture Global, and Westinghouse Electric Company. Most of these companies already have experience working in Ukraine and are interested in further developing partnerships.
The main focus of the negotiations was on the prospects for joint implementation of current and future projects in the oil and gas and nuclear energy sectors, as well as their financing. Both ongoing initiatives and future plans were discussed.
The president also held talks with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. During the meeting, they discussed in detail the possibilities for joint work in the energy sector, as well as measures for the rapid restoration of the Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged by Russia.
A meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled for October 17. It is expected that particular attention will be paid to the issue of transferring long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine during the negotiations.
Before the upcoming meeting, Trump had a phone conversation lasting about two hours with the president of the Russian Federation. According to the American leader, important topics for discussion with Zelensky will include the outcomes of this conversation and other key issues.
Tomahawk cruise missiles can strike targets at distances of up to 1,000 miles (over 1,600 kilometers), significantly exceeding the range of the American ATACMS multiple launch rocket systems (approximately 190 miles), which are already being used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Tomahawk missiles also feature increased speed and destructive power compared to Ukrainian drones, which often face modern enemy air defense systems.
Over the past year, Ukraine has repeatedly appealed to international partners for long-range weaponry. Kyiv is also working on developing its own precision weapons, including the “Palyanytsya” and “Flamingo” systems, but their capabilities currently fall short of those of the Tomahawk.