US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the possibility of providing long-range Tomahawk missiles, while the sudden announcement of a new summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin casts a shadow over the prospects for this assistance.
Trump said he may meet Putin within the next two weeks in Budapest, following a phone conversation lasting more than two hours that he described as productive
."I've been making deals my whole life," he told reporters at the White House."I think we'll finish this one, hopefully soon."
The US president added that he would brief Zelensky on his talks with his Russian counterpart during their meeting in the Oval Office.
His conciliatory stance after communicating with Putin raised questions about the possibility of a new turn in US policy towards Ukraine and reignited fears in Europe about an agreement that would favor Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed that the summit is planned, although much remains to be sorted out and it may take place a little later.
Intensification of conflicts
More than three years after the start of the Russian invasion, the fighting has escalated.
The Russian president recently claimed that his forces had captured approximately 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory by 2025, adding 1% to the total area already controlled by Russia.
However, the head of the Ukrainian armed forces Oleksandr Shirsky said on Thursday that the Russian attack had failed.
Both sides have stepped up attacks on their energy networks, while Russian drones and fighter jets have repeatedly violated the airspace of NATO countries.
The White House has shown increasing discomfort with Putin's stance in recent days and seemed willing to approve new military aid to Kiev, including Tomahawks.
We need them too, Trump commented meaningfully after his communication with the Russian president.
Zelensky, who has gone through phases of tension and understanding with Trump, wrote on the X platform: We already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about the Tomahawks.
Skepticism in Ukraine
Many Ukrainians do not expect positive results from the Zelensky-Trump meeting.
We've seen this before, without tangible results, said Olena Puhilo, 54, a social worker from Mykolaiv, adding, however, that there is always room for miracles.
According to Max Bergman, a Russia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Putin's move is aimed at stopping the Tomahawk missile deployment in Ukraine. It looks like a delaying tactic, he said.
Mykola Byeliskov, a senior analyst at the Ukrainian NGO Come Back Alive, which supports the military, explained that the Tomahawks would level the playing field to some extent, but would not be a magic solution.
"We don't expect Russia to collapse after one or two successful attacks," he noted."The issue is continuous pressure, the disruption of its military-industrial complex."
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened tough measures against Russia, but each time he has delayed their implementation after talks with Putin.
The chances of Russia moving towards serious ceasefire talks appear to have diminished, former State Department official Dan Fried commented.
During Thursday's phone call, Putin warned Trump that providing long-range missiles to Ukraine would harm the peace process and U.S.-Russian relations, his adviser Yuri Ushakov said.
Trump confirmed that Putin opposed the transfer of these weapons. What do you think he would say? “Please, give them Tomahawks?” No, he doesn’t want them to go to Ukraine, he commented with a smile. It’s a terrible weapon, he added.
