Zelenskyy Lands In Washington As NATO Summit Puts Ukraine Aid First
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington, D.C., as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit got underway with providing long-term support for Ukraine in the war against Russia topping the agenda.
The Ukrainian leader will seek to shore up and boost allied support for his country, meet with President Joe Biden and deliver a major speech on the sidelines of the summit, CNN reported. The U.S. promised "significant" announcements on Ukraine during the three-day global gathering that began Tuesday.
The country will fight for "decisive actions" from the U.S. and Europe at the summit, Zelenskyy said Tuesday in his first remarks since arriving in the U.S. capital.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will ask for more air defense systems, F-16 jets and additional security guarantees, "including weapons and finances, political support," according to CNN.
Zelenskyy arrived in Washington on Monday evening, the same day that Russia released a barrage of missiles on Ukraine that destroyed numerous buildings throughout the country, including Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital, and killed three dozen people.
Ukrainian officials said the timing of Moscow's assault — a day before the start of the summit — was calculated, CNN reported. It was "a hello from Putin to all the NATO countries … making fun of us trying to follow red lines," as Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chair of Ukraine's parliament, said.
They also said the attack underscored the need for continued military support for Ukraine — and the ability to use those weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
Price Action: U.S. missile manufacturers that have supplied munitions to Ukraine gave mixed reactions on Tuesday. Northrup Grumman Corp (NYSE:NOC) declined 1.52% to close at $423.73, while RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX) ticked up 1.01% to $101.01. Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) slipped 0.32% to $460.30.
Aerospace and defense exchange-traded funds remained relatively flat on Tuesday. iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA) slipped 0.32% to $132.81 and Invesco Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:PPA) slipped 0.38% to $102.85. SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSE:XAR) declined 0.66% to $140.72.
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