(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, on the eve of talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, that momentum in the Middle East peace process would help end his country's
Zelenskiy Aims for Middle East Peace to Influence Russia Relations
Zelenskiy's Strategy for Peace
(Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, on the eve of talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, that momentum in the Middle East peace process would help end his country's more than 3-1/2-year-old war with Russia.
Meeting with President Trump
"We have a meeting planned with President Trump tomorrow and we are counting on the impulse to curb terror and war which worked in the Middle East to help end Russia's war against Ukraine," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Strengthening Ukraine's Defense
"The language of strength and justice is sure to work with respect to Russia as well."
Potential Military Support
Zelenskiy did not refer directly to Trump's agreement, in a telephone conversation on Thursday, to hold new talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Dialogue with Russia
But he said it was clear that "upon hearing of Tomahawks, Moscow is in a hurry to renew dialogue", a reference to Trump's suggestion that he might provide Kyiv with those missiles.
Zelenskiy said he was meeting with representatives of defence companies, "manufacturers of powerful weapons that can definitely strengthen our defences", including air defence systems to guard against attacks on energy infrastructure.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Bogdan Kochubey; editing by Diane Craft and Deepa Babington)
