A high-level delegation of Ukrainian officials arrived in Washington on Tuesday to meet with US officials ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Friday.
According to a report from The New York Times, Ukraine sees President Trump’s comments expressing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin as an opportunity to push its agenda of less diplomacy, more weapons to strike inside Russia, and more sanctions.
The delegation that arrived on Tuesday, which is being led by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, is meeting with US officials to discuss deals to purchase US weapons intended to strike deep inside Russia. Zelensky is expected to ask President Trump to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, which are nuclear-capable and have a range of over 1,000 miles.
US-backed attacks inside Russia always risk a major escalation from Moscow and the potential of the war turning into a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO, which could quickly turn nuclear. Despite the risk, the Trump administration is considering providing Tomahawks, and a report from the Financial Times has revealed that the US has been providing intelligence for Ukrainian drone attacks on energy infrastructure inside Russia.
The Ukrainian delegation is expected to discuss potential deals for Patriot air defense missiles and other missile systems, in addition to the Tomahawks, as part of a “mega deal” Zelensky has touted, which could be worth up to $90 billion and will be financed by the US’s NATO allies.
Also on the agenda is increasing the economic pressure on Russia, which Svyrydenko discussed with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday. The Treasury Department said in a readout of the meeting that Bessent “reiterated the United States’ commitment to working with G7 partners to significantly escalate pressure on Russia.”
“He stressed the need for European allies to ratchet up their pressure campaign not only against Russia, but also against any country that finances the Russian war machine through purchases of Russian oil,” the readout added.
President Trump appears ready to attempt to increase the pressure on Russia, as he has adopted the maximalist approach of his special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who insists Ukraine can win the war despite Russia having the clear advantage when it comes to manpower and industrial capacity to produce weapons.