Zelenskyy and Kellogg Forge Path Forward: Air Defense Boost and Tighter Sanctions on Agenda
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shakes hands with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg as they meet in Rome, Italy, July 9, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
In Rome, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sat down with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. President’s Special Representative for Ukraine — and it wasn’t just a diplomatic courtesy. Air defense, sanctions, and Ukraine’s survival were on the table, and the message was clear: time is not on anyone’s side.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this on his Telegram channel.
The President of Ukraine arrived in Rome to participate in a conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction, where he met with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. President’s Special Representative for Ukraine and head of the American delegation.
During the meeting, Zelenskyy and Kellogg discussed the supply of weapons and the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
“Amid intensifying Russian attacks, this remains one of our top priorities,” Zelenskyy noted. “We also spoke about the purchase of American weapons, joint defense production, and localizing it within Ukraine.”
Another key topic of the discussion was tightening sanctions against Russia and its allies.
“We focused in detail on sanctions pressure. It’s clear that harsher restrictions on the Russian energy sector are necessary—especially secondary sanctions targeting the buyers of Russian oil,” the President emphasized.
He also expressed hope that the bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal would move forward in the U.S. Senate, adding:
“This legislation could make the Kremlin think more seriously about peace.”
As a reminder, US President Donald Trump instructed his administration to consider options for additional assistance to Ukraine, including the supply of another Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump likely promised Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide Patriot missiles to strengthen Ukrainian air defense.
As reported, the US has decided to resume military assistance to Ukraine, in particular, to provide a new batch of defensive weapons.
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