Saturday, March 29, 2025
Trump Calls Putin Ahead of Zelensky’s Visit to Washington Seeking Cruise Missiles and Air Defense Aid
In a move that has raised diplomatic eyebrows, U.S. President Donald Trump held a lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, just a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to arrive in Washington to request additional military support from the United States.
Trump confirmed the call on his social media platform, posting:
“I’m currently speaking with President Putin. It’s been a long conversation, and I will share details at the conclusion—just as President Putin will.”
The timing of the conversation has drawn attention as it came less than 24 hours before Zelensky’s scheduled meeting with Trump at the Oval Office.
According to Kyiv officials, Zelensky is expected to seek advanced cruise missiles, enhanced air defense systems, and a joint drone production agreement during his visit. He is also likely to push for tougher international economic sanctions against Moscow in response to Russia’s escalating military campaign.
The Ukrainian president’s trip comes amid reports that Trump is increasing diplomatic pressure on Putin to clear obstacles in the ongoing U.S.-led peace efforts surrounding the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, Russia has launched a massive overnight assault on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, deploying hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. Ukrainian officials said the strikes caused widespread power outages across eight regions.
Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, reported that power plants and energy facilities were targeted, leading to blackouts in several areas. The country’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed outages in Kyiv and said natural gas production in the central Poltava region had to be suspended due to the attacks.
President Zelensky accused Moscow of using cluster munitions, targeting emergency workers and repair engineers, and repeatedly striking the same sites to maximize destruction.
He stated that Russia fired more than 300 drones and 37 missiles overnight in one of the heaviest barrages in recent weeks.
As Zelensky arrives in Washington, the contrast between Trump’s outreach to Putin and Kyiv’s plea for stronger U.S. support underscores the complex balancing act of American diplomacy amid a grinding war that shows no signs of de-escalation.
