Article from Xinhua News Agency;

On July 1, in the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Trump approached journalists before boarding an aircraft. Photo by Hu Yousong, Xinhua News Agency.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 6th - U.S. President Trump recently spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and stated that Ukraine needs "Patriot" missiles for defense.

The U.S. government announced at the beginning of this month to suspend part of the military aid to Ukraine. After the call between the leaders of the U.S. and Ukraine, whether the U.S. would resume sending "Patriot" missiles to Ukraine has attracted attention.

Trump: This weapon is "quite impressive"

Trump said on the presidential jet "Air Force One" on the 5th that he had a good conversation with Zelenskyy on the 4th, but was "very dissatisfied" with his call with Russian President Putin the day before.

Axios, an American news website, quoted sources saying that the call between the leaders of the U.S. and Ukraine lasted about 40 minutes. Trump told Zelenskyy that he would find out which specific weapons were suspended from being sent to Ukraine.

When asked whether the U.S. would meet Zelenskyy's request to agree to send more "Patriot" missiles to Ukraine, Trump said: "They will need these missiles for defense... they will need some things because they have been hit and are in a rather difficult situation."

Regarding the "Patriot" missiles, Trump said this weapon was "quite impressive." According to Reuters, sources who know about Trump's call with Zelenskyy revealed that after the "very good" dialogue between the leaders of the U.S. and Ukraine, the Ukrainians are optimistic about the U.S. resuming the supply of "Patriot" missiles.

Zelenskyy: The most effective dialogue

Zelenskyy gave a video speech on the evening of the 5th, stating that his call with Trump was the "best and most effective dialogue" between the two so far.

"We discussed air defense issues, and I am very grateful (for the U.S. willingness to help). The 'Patriot' system is key to countering ballistic missile threats," Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said he also discussed with the U.S. leader issues related to defense industry capacity and joint production, as well as mutual procurement and investment issues, "We need it, and the U.S. needs it."

The "Patriot" air defense system is a ground-based anti-aircraft missile system that can respond to threats such as aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. A "Patriot" system usually includes launch vehicles, radar, command posts, and power vehicles.

Ukraine has long demanded that Washington sell it more "Patriot" systems and their missiles. However, the White House and the Pentagon confirmed on the 1st that the U.S. had suspended part of its military aid to Ukraine, citing reasons including putting U.S. interests first and aligning with the goal of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to multiple U.S. media reports, the suspended military aid included "Patriot" air defense missiles, 155mm high explosive artillery shells, and "Javelin" missiles.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry met with the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine on the 2nd, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. continuing to provide military aid to Ukraine. (Reporter: Liu Si)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523872741305401898/

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