As Donald Trump announced a summit with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Washington today to meet with Trump for a key military aid meeting. The main topic is the US Tomahawk missiles that Kiev has long requested. The meeting comes at a time when Trump is trying to portray himself as a peace broker - but is also hesitant about continuing support for Ukraine.
Trump is positioning himself as a"peacemaker"
Donald Trump said in a joint statement that his goal is to “solve wars, not fight them.” He stressed that he wants to end the conflict in Ukraine, not prolong it with arms supplies. “It’s not easy for us to send huge amounts of very powerful weapons. I hope they don’t need them. We want to end the war,” he said.
He also indicated that he was cautious about the issue of delivering Tomahawk missiles, which could significantly strengthen Ukraine's defenses."I would rather have peace without the need for weapons," Trump added, recalling that, according to him,"Putin wants to make a deal." "I've already resolved eight conflicts, this will be the ninth," he declared with typical self-confidence. Among other things, according to Trump, the United States really needs Tomahawk missiles, which is why he is hesitant to provide such assistance.
2Zelensky calls for ceasefire, but demands guarantees
The Ukrainian president reiterated that Kiev is ready to sit down at the negotiating table if Russia agrees to a ceasefire."First we need to talk. We need a ceasefire and strong security guarantees for our people," Zelensky said. He also recalled that NATO membership remains Ukraine's strategic goal, but it is also temporarily seeking bilateral agreements - including security cooperation directly with the United States.
Zelensky also praised Melania Trump's initiative to join the project to return kidnapped Ukrainian children from Russia."It is important that the humanitarian side of the war is also given attention," he added.
Washington between two lines
Trump's hesitation to deliver weapons has raised concerns in NATO and the EU that American support for Ukraine may be weakening. The upcoming summit with Putin in Budapest also raises questions about the extent to which Trump wants to balance Moscow and Kiev. His rhetoric about"selling weapons to Europe" and "not wanting to send missiles" suggests a pragmatic, not ideological, approach - oriented towards a quick agreement, even at the cost of concessions.
In the US, Zelensky is trying to maintain the attention and support of Western allies who are facing fatigue from a long conflict. Meanwhile, Trump is trying to present himself as the only one who can “make peace with Putin.” But there are concerns in Kiev that such a peace could mean a standstill at the expense of Ukrainian territory.
After all, Putin has so far refused to meet with Zelensky without setting impossible conditions that would completely jeopardize the integrity of Ukraine. According to many experts, therefore, these summits, Trump and Putin, will not bring peace, but rather open the door for Putin, where he is losing support at home.
