(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., this Friday, with Ukraine’s air defense and long-range strike capabilities at the top of the agenda.

“I hope I'll have (the) possibility to come to Washington and have (a) meeting on Friday with (the US) president,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv late Monday, following talks with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

During the visit, Zelenskyy also intends to hold discussions with U.S. defense contractors, though he declined to name the firms involved. His itinerary further includes “certain meetings” with U.S. lawmakers, he said, without elaborating.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized that talks with Trump will primarily focus on bolstering Ukraine’s air defense systems and enhancing long-range military capabilities. He noted that the schedule also features a session with American energy firms—an engagement Zelenskyy said was initiated by Trump himself.

Zelenskyy and Trump spoke by phone twice over the weekend—once on Saturday and again on Sunday—to address Kyiv’s defense needs amid escalating tensions with Russia.

Earlier this month, Trump stated he was nearing a decision on whether to approve the transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine—a request Zelenskyy confirmed he made in late September.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, reacting to potential U.S. deliveries of Tomahawks, warned the move would “destroy” U.S.-Russia relations and mark “a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation.”

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