Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States is prepared to support key initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses following a G7–Ukraine meeting held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Évian.
According to Zelensky, the talks focused on increasing support for Ukraine and finding ways to force Russia toward peace.
“Our priorities are clear: increasing the number of air defense missiles and providing licenses for their production, a support package for the winter, and stronger pressure on Russia. It is important that the United States is ready to provide a backstop for these areas of work,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader thanked the participants of the meeting, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, US President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, European Council President António Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Zelensky stressed that the key task now is to ensure the implementation of all agreements reached during the discussions.
“Russia must understand that its war will never become the norm,” he said.
Following the multilateral meeting, Zelensky also held bilateral talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The leaders discussed continued defense support for Ukraine, particularly strengthening air defense capabilities, the situation on the battlefield, and the results of Ukraine’s long-range strikes against Russian targets.
They also focused on implementing the agreements reached during the G7–Ukraine meeting.
“It is important that Ukraine’s effectiveness on the battlefield and in long-range operations is complemented by effective global pressure on Russia,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president also thanked Germany for its support and emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s continued progress toward membership in the European Union.
