(MENAFN- Live Mint) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday (October 14) that a high-level delegation has departed for the United States ahead of his planned meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday (October 1).

“The Ukrainian delegation has departed for the United States: Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, and several representatives of the diplomatic sector. They will hold a number of meetings,” Zelensky wrote on X on Tuesday.

“I will also have the opportunity to come to Washington and meet with President Trump on Friday. I believe we will discuss a series of steps that I intend to propose. I am grateful to President Trump for our dialogue and his support,” he added.

Focus on air defense and long-range capabilities

Zelensky said the main focus of his visit would be on securing air defense systems and long-range strike capabilities to defend against continued Russian bombardments.

“There will be several other important meetings – with defense companies, and possibly with senators and members of Congress. I will also meet with energy companies,” he said.

“This is necessary – it was President Trump's proposal – and I will meet with these companies because there are pressing needs linked to various formats of attacks... In any case, we must be prepared.”

Push for US-made Tomahawk missiles

Zelensky is expected to lobby Trump for the supply of US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles , which can strike targets up to 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) away - putting Moscow and other key Russian sites within range.

Tomahawks would become the longest-range weapons in Kyiv's arsenal, allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory with greater precision and heavier payloads than drones.

Trump has warned Moscow that he may authorize such a transfer, a move Washington had previously ruled out over fears of escalation.

Russian strikes intensify in Kharkiv

As Zelensky prepared for his US visit, Russian forces launched powerful glide bombs and drones overnight on Kharkiv , Ukraine's second-largest city.

The strikes hit a major hospital, wounding seven people and forcing the evacuation of 50 patients, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov. Zelensky said the main targets were energy facilities.

“Every day, every night, Russia strikes power plants, power lines, and our gas facilities,” he said on Telegram.

Energy war and appeal for global support

The Ukrainian leader said Russia's long-range attacks on the country's power grid were part of a campaign to cripple energy supplies during winter.

“We are counting on the actions of the U.S. and Europe, the G7, all partners who have these systems and can provide them to protect our people,” Zelensky urged.

“The world must force Moscow to sit down at the table for real negotiations.”

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Meanwhile, data from Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks global support to Ukraine, showed a 43% decline in foreign military aid during July and August compared with the first half of 2025.

The drop followed the creation of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) - a new NATO-managed fund that pools member contributions (excluding the US) to buy American-made weapons and equipment for Ukraine.

Despite the slowdown, the institute noted that aid in the first half of 2025 still exceeded total contributions from 2022–2024, showing continued but uneven support.

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