Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is working to arrange a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at this month’s Group of Seven summit in Canada, Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak said.
One of the aims of a visit to Washington earlier this week by a delegation from Kyiv was to prepare for a potential Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at the G7 gathering set for June 15-17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, Yermak said on a national broadcast late Friday.
“Our visit was part of the preparation, including for what I believe will be a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which is taking place in 10 days’ time,” Yermak said. “This was a key step in preparing for this conversation.”
The Ukrainian delegation also held discussions in Washington on continuing military aid to Ukraine, Yermak said.
“There is a shared understanding on this issue; we need to keep working,” Yermak said. “President Zelenskyy clearly outlined our position: Under the signed agreement on economic cooperation, we are also ready to buy some of the equipment, especially missile defense systems, etc.,” Yermak said.
The Ukrainian visit came as U.S. lawmakers are weighing sweeping sanctions measures aimed at Russia and its biggest energy customers. The delegation met with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, who are pushing for a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate that would impose steep tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy resources.
“We hope this new sanctions package will be adopted,” Yermak said. “But even the process that should begin in the Senate next week will be a very important signal — because everyone understands what it’s about. It’s quite clearly about reducing Russia’s revenues from energy exports, primarily oil,” he said.
The post Zelenskyy seeks Trump meeting at G7 in Canada appeared first on Politico.
