Zelensky came to Washington after weeks of calls for Tomahawks, hoping to capitalise on US President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a summit in Alaska failed to produce a breakthrough.
However, the Ukrainian leader left empty-handed as Trump eyes a fresh diplomatic breakthrough on the back of last week’s Gaza peace deal.
“Ukraine will never grant terrorists any bounty for their crimes, and we count on our partners to uphold this very position,” Zelensky wrote on social media on his return from Washington.
He called “for decisive steps” from European and American allies, adding that it was time for another meeting between the European-led “coalition of the willing”.
Trump has appeared far more upbeat about the prospects of a deal since a lengthy call on Thursday with Putin, in which they agreed to meet soon in Budapest.
After meeting with Zelensky at the White House, Trump said on social media the talks were “very interesting, and cordial, but I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing, and make a DEAL!”
Meanwhile, Moscow has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in recent weeks, leaving thousands without heating and light as the cold winter draws nearer.
“This week alone, Russia has used more than 3,270 attack drones, 1,370 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 50 missiles of various types against Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“Most recently today, two people were killed and more than a dozen wounded across Ukraine’s east,” Kyiv said.
In return, Ukraine intensified its strikes on Russian western border regions, as well as its oil and gas facilities.
“Today, a drone strike forced a Gazprom gas plant in Russia’s Orenburg region to stop refining gas from neighbouring Kazakhstan’s large oil and gas field,” Kazakh authorities said.
Western oil and gas companies such as Shell, Eni, and Chevron own a majority stake in the Karachaganak field, gas from which is mostly refined at the Russian plant.
The Russian army claimed today to have captured two villages in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, as it slowly grinds through in costly metre-for-metre battles.