Crystal Dike
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to have left Washington empty-handed after US President Donald Trump indicated he was not yet ready to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Speaking after a cordial bilateral meeting at the White House on Friday, Zelensky said the two leaders discussed long-range missiles but agreed not to make public statements on the issue “because the United States does not want an escalation.”
Trump later took to social media, urging Kyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end the war. The meeting came a day after Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which both leaders agreed to meet soon in Hungary.
Zelensky has argued that the use of Tomahawk missiles against Russian oil and energy facilities could severely weaken President Putin’s war economy. However, Trump remained non-committal.
“Hopefully they won’t need it; hopefully, we’ll be able to get the war over without thinking about Tomahawks,” Trump said at the White House. “I think we’re fairly close to that.”
Describing the missiles as “a big deal,” the US president said they were essential to America’s own defense and warned that supplying them to Ukraine could further escalate the conflict. He noted that discussions on the issue would continue.
Asked by the BBC whether the missiles had prompted Putin’s planned meeting, Trump replied: “The threat of that [the missiles] is good, but the threat of that is always there.”
During the talks, Zelensky suggested Ukraine could offer drones in exchange for the Tomahawks — an idea that drew smiles and nods from Trump. The Ukrainian leader also praised Trump’s role in helping secure the first phase of a Middle East peace deal, suggesting the US president could build on that momentum to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Outside the White House, Zelensky was asked whether Putin’s planned meeting with Trump in Budapest was genuine or a delay tactic. “I don’t know,” he said, adding that the prospect of Ukraine acquiring Tomahawks had made Russia “afraid because it is a strong weapon.”
When asked if he felt optimistic about eventually receiving the missiles, Zelensky responded, “I am realistic.”
The Ukrainian leader also appeared open to Trump’s proposal for both sides to halt fighting along the current front lines. “We have to stop where we are; he is right, the president is right,” Zelensky said. “The step after that would be to speak.”
He later posted on X that he had called European leaders to brief them on the meeting, emphasizing that the “main priority now is to protect as many lives as possible, guarantee security for Ukraine, and strengthen all of us in Europe.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the follow-up call as “productive,” pledging continued British humanitarian and military support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Putin warned that any move by Washington to supply Tomahawks would further strain US-Russian relations.
Trump said his Thursday phone call with Putin was “very productive,” adding that teams from both countries would meet next week. He acknowledged concerns that Putin might be using the talks to buy time, but said, “I’ve been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out really well. I think he wants to make a deal.”
Asked whether Zelensky would join the proposed Budapest summit, Trump, seated beside the Ukrainian president, said there was “bad blood” between Putin and Zelensky. “We want to make it comfortable for everybody,” he said. “We’ll be involved in threes, but it may be separated.”
Trump’s call with Putin was his first since mid-August. The pair had previously attempted to arrange a face-to-face summit in Alaska, but that meeting failed to yield a breakthrough.
Back in Kyiv, residents continue to endure the toll of war. The BBC spoke on Friday to a couple repairing their small store destroyed by Russian missiles last month. “Truth and democracy will win, and all the terrorism and evil will disappear,” said Volodymyr, the store owner. “We just want to live. We don’t want to give up; we just want them to leave us alone.”