Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky discuss ‘joint production’ in defence industry
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky shared an ‘important’ phone call, with the Ukrainian leader revealing what America’s next move will be regarding the war with Russia. Follow updates.
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed the possibility of “joint production” regarding defence capabilities as Kyiv continues to withstand a relentless barrage from Russia.
Mr Zelensky said he briefed Mr Trump on the latest with the war when they spoke early Saturday AEST “including Russian airstrikes and the broader frontline developments.”
“President Trump is very well informed, and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine,” Mr Zekensky wrote in a post on X.
“We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies.”
Mr Zelensky said the talks even went so far as to discuss collaboration.
I had a very important and fruitful conversation with @POTUS. I congratulated President Trump and the entire American people on the US Independence Day.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир ЗеленÑький (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2025
We - in Ukraine - are grateful for all the support provided. It helps us protect lives, safeguard our freedom and… pic.twitter.com/kQ3Byipvd2
“We had a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production,” Mr Zelensky said.
“We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.
“We also touched on mutual procurement and investment.”
FOLLOW UPDATES BELOW:
RUSSIA STEPS UP DRONE AND MISSILE BARRAGE
Russia launched a large missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital city overnight, injuring 19 people.
Of those injured about 14 were hospitalised, according to Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The Russian strikes damaged railways, forcing passenger trains to divert with delays of up to two hours, according to Ukraine’s national railway company.
It was described as “the largest attack of the war” on X by news outlet Kyiv Insider.
More than three years after the start of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, fighting continues to rage, with efforts for truce at a standstill.
Meanwhile, a woman was killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into an apartment building in southern Russia, the region’s acting governor said.
A two-storey building in the village of Dolotinka in Rostov was “damaged by a UAV crash, a floor slab collapsed, and as a result, a retired woman, a former teacher, died”, Yury Slyusar said on Telegram.
“At the moment, the threat of a UAV attack remains in the Rostov region. All forces and means are on alert and continue to repel the enemy attack,” Slyusar said.
He added that 20 residents were evacuated from the building. A man was also wounded by shrapnel in a Ukrainian drone attack on a district in the Moscow region, Russia’s TASS news agency said Friday.
QUEEN MARY STUNS AS ZELENSKY GETS ROYAL TREATMENT
Ukraine’s embattled leader Volodymyr Zelensky received the royal treatment in Denmark where Aussie-born Queen Mary hosted a reception on board the royal ship Dannebrog.
Mr Zelensky was visiting ally Denmark as it took the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the official opening taking place in Aarhus University’s Main Hall.
Mary, 53, looked stunning in a red Max Mara belted wide-leg jumpsuit on board the ship in the Port of Aarhus.
Mr Zelensky told EU allies in Denmark that doubts over US military aid reinforced the need for greater co-operation with Brussels and NATO.
He stressed again that Kyiv had always supported President Donald Trump’s “unconditional ceasefire”.
According to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Denmark is assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU at a crucial juncture in the history of Europe.
“This is a major opportunity for a small country like ours to make a political impact and lead the drive for a stronger Europe. And we’re prepared to take on that responsibility,” she said.
On Wednesday, Kyiv scrambled to clarify with the US what a White House announcement on pausing some weapons shipments meant.
“Continued American support for Ukraine, for our defence, for our people is in our common interest,” Mr Zelensky had said on Wednesday.
Russia has consistently called for Western countries to stop sending weapons to Kyiv.
‘WON’T GIVE UP’: PUTIN TELLS TRUMP IN PHONE CALL
President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday morning – two days after the US cut off air defence missiles and other weapons to Ukraine, citing low American stockpiles.
“Will be speaking to President Putin of Russia at 10:00 A.M. Thank you!” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social 20 minutes before the scheduled chat.
Prior conversations with Mr Putin have been coupled with calls by Mr Trump to Mr Zelensky in an attempt to broker an end to fighting between the countries.
Mr Trump recently has been pessimistic about solving the Russia-Ukraine conflict – likening the nations to children during a White House visit last month by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy,” Mr Trump said.
“They hate each other, and they’re fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don’t want to be pulled. Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”
On the hour long call, Mr Putin told Mr Trump that Moscow will not “give up” on its aims in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
“Our president said that Russia will achieve the aims it set, that is to say the elimination of the root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. “Russia will not give up on these aims.”
Even so, Mr Putin told Mr Trump that Moscow would continue to take part in negotiations.
“He also spoke of the readiness of the Russian side to continue the negotiation process,” Ushakov added.
“Vladimir Putin said that we are continuing to look for a political, negotiated solution to the conflict,” Ushakov said.
Moscow has for months refused to agree to a US-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine.
Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Mr Putin of dragging out the process while pushing on with Russia’s advance in Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump spoke as Kyiv said that Russian strikes on Thursday killed at least eight people in Ukraine.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky planned to speak to each other on Friday.
UKRAINE SAYS IS WASN’T NOTIFIED ABOUT US ARMS REDUCTION
The Ukrainian defence ministry said Wednesday it had not received advanced notice of reductions to US arms shipments and said ending Russia’s invasion required “consistent” support.
“Ukraine has not received any official notifications about the suspension or revision of the delivery schedules for the agreed defence assistance,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We emphasise that the path to ending the war lies through consistent and joint pressure on the aggressor, as well as through continued support for Ukraine,” it added.
Ukraine summoned the deputy chief of the US embassy in Kyiv to a meeting and warned him any delays in US military aid to Ukraine would “encourage” Russia, Kyiv’s foreign ministry said.
The White House announced Tuesday it was halting some key weapons shipments to Ukraine promised by the previous US administration to battle Russia’s invasion.
“John Ginkel was invited to the Ukrainian foreign ministry … The Ukrainian side stressed that any delay or procrastination in supporting Ukraine’s defence capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue the war,” Kyiv’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Kremlin welcomed the move, saying reducing the flow of weapons to Kyiv will help end the conflict faster.
“In any case, the fewer the number of weapons that are delivered to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP, using Russia’s term for its more than three-year offensive.
The aid cuts come at a perilous moment for Ukraine, which has endured weeks of intense Russian bombardment and has been ceding ground to Moscow’s army on the front line.
US media reported that Patriot air defence systems and artillery were among the items being held back, both of which Kyiv says it desperately needs.
A high-ranking source in the Ukrainian military told AFP that Kyiv would struggle to defend itself against attacking Russian forces without US ammunition.
“We are now seriously dependent on American arms supplies, although Europe is doing its best, but it will be difficult for us without American ammunition,” the source said
Stopping the delivery of munitions and other military aid including air defence systems likely would be a blow to Ukraine as it contends with some of Russia’s largest missile and drone attacks of the war.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD (Department of Defence) review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told AFP in an email.
The curtailment of military aid signals a possible shift in the priorities of President Trump, who has pressed for Russia and Ukraine to speed up stalled peace talks.
The Republican has moved on to playing a greater role in orchestrating a possible ceasefire in Gaza and toning down Iran-Israel tensions after a deadly 12-day conflict between the arch foes.
The Pentagon review determined that stocks had become too low on some previously pledged munitions, and that some pending shipments now would not be sent, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Politico, which first reported the halt of military aid.
â—ï¸Russian media confirm the death of Major General, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 🇷🇺Russian Naval Forces, Mikhail Gudkov, as well as his close comrade, Russian Navy officer Lieutenant Colonel Nariman Shikhaliyev. In total, it is reported that 10 to 20 Russian officers(?) were… pic.twitter.com/FaAY30l11A
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 3, 2025
TOP RUSSIAN NAVY COMMANDER KILLED BY UKRAINE STRIKE
The deputy commander of Russia’s navy has been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike — one of the most senior Russian military officers wiped out in more than three years of war, officials said.
Major General Mikhail Gudkov, who also led a brigade fighting against Ukraine, died in Russia’s Kursk region, the region’s governor Oleg Kozhemyako confirmed.
Ten other Russian servicemen were also killed in the attack on a command post in Korenevo, according to Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels.
Gudkov is one of the Kremlin’s most senior military officers to have been killed since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.
mR Putin had only just appointed him deputy commander of the Russian navy in March.
“When he became deputy chief of the navy, he did not stop personally visiting the positions of our marines,” Mr Kozhemyako said in a statement.
– with AFP
More Coverage
Originally published as Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky discuss ‘joint production’ in defence industry