Ukrainian President Zelenskyy spoke with US President Trump in Washington about a possible end to the war in Ukraine. Instead of the promise of new weapons that Zelenskyy had hoped for, Trump appealed to the warring parties.
Following the eagerly awaited talks between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, there is still no clarity about a delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
At the start of the meeting in Washington on Friday, Zelenskyy told the press that his country needed US long-range weapons in the war against Russia."We don't have Tomahawks, so we need Tomahawks." He also brought up the sale of Ukrainian drones to the US again. Asked by a journalist whether the United States would be interested in such a deal, Trump answered in the affirmative, but also stated:"We would much rather they didn't need Tomahawks."
Zelenskyy remains "realistic"
After the meeting, Zelensky declined to comment on the weapons to reporters. He said the US wanted to avoid escalation, adding that he was"realistic" about the chances of a delivery.
Ukraine wants to buy long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States, which would allow Ukrainian forces to attack military installations, energy facilities, and critical infrastructure deep within Russia's hinterland. Zelenskyy believes this could encourage Russian President Putin to take Trump's demands for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously.
Double summit in Budapest?
According to Russian sources, President Vladimir Putin spoke out against the delivery of Tomahawks during his recent phone call with Trump. The US president had promised them to Ukraine just a few days earlier. However, he and Putin agreed that they would meet soon for a summit in Hungary.
Trump said whether Zelensky would attend the planned US-Russia summit in Budapest remains to be determined."These two leaders don't like each other, and we want to make it comfortable for everyone," Trump said. All three sides—Russia, Ukraine, and the US—will be involved one way or another, but that could be done separately, he said. This suggests a possible dual summit. Previously, Trump had worked toward a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Trump calls for ceasefire
This is the Ukrainian president's third visit to the White House this year. The two heads of state last met in mid-August – in a more relaxed atmosphere, after the first meeting in Washington in February ended in an unprecedented scandal.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform that the meeting with Zelenskyy was cordial. He did not address the Tomahawk cruise missiles in the post, but urged a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine."Let both claim victory, let history decide. Both sides should stop the killing and make a deal," Trump wrote."They should stop where they are." Enough blood has been shed.
Zelensky signaled his approval after the talks in Washington."President Trump is right. (...) It's important to pause now and then talk," he said, responding to Trump's remarks."We have to stop where we are, and then we'll talk." But he added: "Both sides have to stop, but that's a question for Putin, because we didn't start the war."
Merz: "Ukraine needs a peace plan"
That same evening, Zelenskyy informed European partners about his visit to the White House, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz. German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said it was a"constructive meeting" after the phone call.
Merz and the European partners welcomed the"close transatlantic cooperation and underscored the urgency of efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine." Ukraine now needs a peace plan, the Chancellor explained.
The European partners have promised Zelenskyy to expand their support"to encourage Russia to engage in serious negotiations," the statement continued. They intend to increase pressure through sanctions and use frozen Russian state assets, for example."Volodymyr Zelenskyy has the full support of Germany and our European friends on the path to peace," Merz said.
