Zelenskiy speaks to U.S. envoys, discusses weapons

KYIV, July 22 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spoke on Wednesday about the prospects for pursuing more active diplomacy and moving towards an accord to end the more than four-year-old war with Russia.

Both the Ukrainian leader and the White House confirmed the telephone conversation took place. U.S.-brokered diplomacy in the war has stalled with Washington largely focused on the conflict with Iran.

"I just spoke with President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff @SEPeaceMissions and Jared Kushner @jaredkushner," Zelenskiy wrote on the social media platform X.

"It was a good, important conversation on how to reinvigorate diplomacy and bring peace closer. Peace is needed – peace with dignity, and Ukraine has long been ready for it."

Zelenskiy said both sides would stay in close contact.

Writing earlier on X, Zelenskiy said he had met U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker in Kyiv, with discussion focusing on licences for Patriot air defence system production.

"We had a good talk - first and foremost on how to protect Ukrainian skies with more Patriot interceptor supplies through PURL," Zelenskiy said, referring to a NATO- and U.S.-backed scheme that coordinates funding and delivery of arms to Ukraine.

"This is a critical priority now, as massive Russian attacks continue unabated."

President Donald Trump agreed during a meeting with Zelenskiy at the NATO summit in Turkey this month that the United States would grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors.

Ukraine has boosted its medium- and long-range drone strikes on mainly energy targets in Russia, but air defences to protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missile attacks remain a priority for Kyiv. REUTERS