Kyiv – Ukraine has dispatched a high-level delegation to Washington, DC, for talks on strengthening its defence and energy systems as Russian attacks continue to cripple the country’s power grid ahead of winter.
The visit, announced Monday, comes days before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.
Leading the delegation is Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, joined by National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, for what Kyiv described as “high-level talks” on security, energy resilience, and sanctions pressure against Moscow.
“We’re heading for talks to strengthen Ukraine’s defence, secure our energy resilience, and intensify sanctions pressure on the aggressor,” Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak posted on X. “The ultimate goal remains unchanged — a just and lasting peace.”
Power grid under pressure
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said on Monday it had implemented emergency power outages across seven regions following fresh Russian missile and drone strikes that damaged key infrastructure.
“Due to the complicated situation in Ukraine’s Unified Energy System caused by previous Russian strikes, emergency power outages were implemented,” the ministry said in a Telegram post.
The affected areas include central and eastern territories such as Donetsk, where officials have urged civilians to evacuate amid continued targeting of energy facilities.
More than one million households and businesses temporarily lost power on Friday, and overnight attacks on Saturday injured two employees of Ukraine’s largest private energy company.
“Russia has made its attacks on our energy more vicious — to compensate for their failure on the ground,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Preparing for Washington
The delegation’s trip comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump, during which Ukraine hopes to secure commitments on air defence systems, long-range strike weapons, and energy support.
Zelenskyy said Monday that he and Trump had spoken twice over the weekend, discussing “defence of life in our country” and ways to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities and energy sector.
He added that he had presented Trump with a “vision” for the number of Tomahawk cruise missiles Ukraine believes it needs to repel Russian forces — an issue expected to feature prominently in their talks.
Tomahawks and tension
Trump has recently hinted that he might consider supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow does not move toward ending the war.
“They’d like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up,” Trump said while en route to Israel. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon — very offensive. And honestly, Russia does not need that.”
The comments drew a sharp response from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that such a move could have “serious consequences,” while Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev cautioned that the decision could “end badly” for Trump himself.
Russia has long said that the transfer of advanced Western weaponry to Ukraine amounts to direct US involvement in the conflict.
Background
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly urged the United States and its allies to expand arms deliveries and bolster its energy infrastructure. Russian forces have focused heavily on destroying power facilities to weaken civilian morale during the winter months.
As Kyiv braces for another cold season of rolling blackouts and air raids, officials hope this week’s talks in Washington will yield tangible support — both to keep the lights on and to strengthen the country’s ability to defend its skies.
Leave a Reply