Zelensky convenes top security chiefs to prioritize air defense and an EU drone deal as US steps back from mediation
On Saturday, May 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky convened a high-level strategic meeting with National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, First Vice Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Kyrylo Budanov to fix Ukraine's immediate priorities in diplomacy, military procurement and humanitarian operations. He named advanced anti-ballistic air defense, bilateral documents to scale drone production and a 'Drone Deal' with the EU, and fresh energy-sector support as the focus for the coming weeks, while flagging undisclosed 'important negotiations' ahead. The session comes as Washington steps back from active mediation -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio conceded a lack of progress -- pushing Kyiv to consolidate European alliances.
President Volodymyr Zelensky convened a high-level strategic meeting on Saturday, May 30, with Ukraine's top defense, intelligence and government officials to fix the country's immediate priorities across international diplomacy, frontline military procurement and humanitarian operations. He announced the outcome in posts on Facebook and X alongside photographs of the briefing.
Those present included National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, First Vice Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Kyrylo Budanov. Zelensky said Ukraine remains in near-daily contact with envoys of the US president and European partners over the state of hardware supplies, and set diplomacy as the first priority. "We are preparing for important negotiations -- for now, without public details," he said, declining to detail the pending summits.
Securing advanced anti-ballistic air-defense systems capable of intercepting sophisticated threats is the top procurement priority for protecting domestic cities and infrastructure. Kyiv is also finalizing bilateral documents to scale up domestic manufacturing and cross-border supply of unmanned systems, and is preparing to sign a comprehensive "Drone Deal" directly with the European Union. US Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jim Himes said Washington should respond positively to Zelensky's request for additional air-defense missiles to help protect Kyiv from Russian attacks.
The second priority is the humanitarian track. Zelensky instructed his team to contact partners with the leverage to step up mediation and accelerate prisoner-of-war exchanges already agreed. A third set of decisions, aimed at reinforcing Ukraine's heavily targeted energy sector, is being finalized: "We are finalizing the details," he said.
The meeting lands as Washington pulls back from active mediation in Russia-Ukraine talks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly acknowledged a lack of progress, saying, "If someone else would like to handle it, they should." Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer argued the step-back might ultimately work in Kyiv's favor, contending that President Donald Trump's mediation had stalled because the administration mishandled the process, accepted key Kremlin demands early and failed to back diplomacy with tangible pressure on Moscow. A pause, Pifer said, costs Ukraine little: it reduces pressure on Kyiv to make one-sided territorial concessions and opens the door for European partners -- who hold a more direct stake -- to lead a more balanced mediation. By locking in long-term drone and air-defense commitments directly with European allies, Ukraine is insulating its defenses against shifting transatlantic politics.