A "Fruitful" Conversation Between Zelensky and Trump Before Russia's Deadline Expires

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed yesterday, Tuesday, that he had a conversation he described as "fruitful" with U.S. President Donald Trump, which addressed ways to end the war in Ukraine, tighten sanctions on Russia, and discuss the details of a massive drone deal between the two countries.

In a post on the "X" platform, Zelensky clarified that Trump showed a complete understanding of the intense Russian attacks on Kyiv and several Ukrainian cities and regions, which were carried out using drones and missiles.

The Ukrainian president also confirmed his country's readiness to conclude a new agreement with Washington to purchase Ukrainian drones, noting that this deal could be "one of the strongest defense agreements ever," estimating its value at around $30 billion.

Zelensky added that Ukraine's European partners have so far pledged to purchase U.S. weapons for Kyiv worth more than $1 billion, as part of a new armament plan aimed at enhancing Ukraine's defensive capabilities in the face of ongoing Russian escalation.

This development comes just days before the deadline set by President Trump for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which expires on August 8, to achieve peace in Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Trump expressed his frustration with Moscow's obstinacy, giving Putin "ten to twenty days" to reach a peace agreement, threatening new sanctions, in addition to a 100% tariff on countries that continue to import Russian oil.

In contrast, Reuters reported from sources close to the Kremlin that the Russian president is not expected to yield to this U.S. ultimatum, indicating that Putin remains determined to achieve full control over four Ukrainian regions that he considers strategically important.