'Substantive conversation': Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Rubio on missile interceptors, Russian attack warnings

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said he held a ldquosubstantive conversationrdquo with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio focusing on ballistic missile interceptors advance warnings of Russian missile attacks and the restoration of satellite communication services used by Ukrainian forcesIn a post on X Zelenskyy said the discussion centred on Ukrainersquos urgent defence requirements as Kyiv continues diplomatic efforts to end the war with RussialdquoI spoke with Marco Rubio SecRubio and it was a substantive conversation ndash focused on the issues that matter I am grateful for his readiness to help and his clear position First ballistic missile interceptors which are needed to protect lives Second early warning of Russian ballistic missile attacks which is vital Third the situation with StarlinkStarshield which needs to be restored Of course all of this comes against the backdrop of our diplomatic efforts to end this horrific war and the constant killing of peoplerdquoldquoWe agreed to get in touch again soon for an update Thank you Marco for the constructive discussion Thank you to everyone in America who supports fair approachesrdquo he addedUkraine seeks missile defence supportZelenskyyrsquos remarks underline Ukrainersquos continuing need for American military assistance and intelligence to defend against Russian attacks Ballistic missile interceptors are a key part of Kyivrsquos efforts to protect civilians and critical infrastructure from incoming strikesThe Ukrainian president said the two sides had agreed to speak again soon to exchange updates on the issues discussedZelenskyy says US intelligence sharing resumedThe conversation came after Zelenskyy said in a separate interview with NBC that the United States had temporarily paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine for three days leaving Ukrainian forces without certain American warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks during that periodldquoWe didnrsquot see attacks of Russia using ballistic missilesrdquo Zelenskyy saidHe said Ukraine continued receiving intelligence from European governments and other international partners but their capabilities could not fully replace the specialised information available from WashingtonldquoWe have dozens of countries who help But only United States has this unique intelligence to say to tell us to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missilesrdquo he saidldquoAnd we didnrsquot get it during ballistic attacks during three daysrdquoZelenskyy subsequently said the intelligencesharing arrangement had been restoredSatellite communication services remain a concernZelenskyy also raised the status of Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems used by Ukrainian forces He said their operation needed to be restored highlighting Kyivrsquos concerns over access to communications technology essential for battlefield coordinationThe issue has added to uncertainty surrounding the extent of Washingtonrsquos military and intelligence support for Ukraine US officials have disputed some claims about the restrictions while reports have described operational difficulties linked to satellite servicesDiplomatic efforts continue amid military needsZelenskyy said the discussions with Rubio were taking place alongside Ukrainersquos efforts to secure a diplomatic end to the conflictWith inputs from IANS