United States President Donald Trump expressed his desire to end the war in Ukraine , but he appeared reluctant to immediately approve the deployment of Tomahawk missiles to Kiev.

The reception, meeting, and statements between Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky took place this time not in the Oval Office, but in the Cabinet Room, a change from the two men's previous one-on-one meetings at the White House.

The meeting also took place in the shadow of Trump's long (2.5 hours) phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the announcement of a new meeting between them, this time in Budapest.

Trump said the plan calls for a two-way meeting with Putin and Zelensky separately so that everyone is more comfortable, since, as he noted, the two leaders do not like each other.

Trump stated:"I believe Vladimir Putin wants the war to end," while asked why his next meeting with the Russian president would be in Budapest, he replied that Hungary is a peaceful country and has a leader that I like.

It will be a meeting with Putin, but we will also be in contact with President Zelensky, he said.

For his part, Zelensky expressed the opposite assessment, saying that Putin is not ready to stop the war, but added that with your help we can end it.

Trump - Zelenskyy statements

The Tomahawk bargain

Zelensky arrived in Washington with the aim of securing approval for US long-range Tomahawk missiles, which would allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.

Trump had left open the possibility of granting them, but emphasized:"I would prefer not to need the Tomahawks. I would prefer the war to end." And he expressed reservations about the possibility of new arms deliveries, believing that peace can be achieved through dialogue.

Zelensky, for his part, insisted that the only way to have meaningful negotiations is through strong military pressure on Russia.

The Kremlin has warned that providing long-range American missiles would constitute a serious escalation of the war.

At the same time, experts point out that, even if given the green light, Ukraine would need a large number of Tomahawks - at a cost of about $2.5 million per unit - to substantially affect the balance on the front.

Trump: It is possible that Putin is trying to buy time

Asked if he was concerned that Putin was trying to buy time through the talks, Trump admitted that this was possible, but said he was confident in his negotiating skills.

"Yeah, I'm worried, but you know, my whole life I've been outplayed by the best and I've done pretty well. So, yeah, maybe it's buying me some time. That's okay. But I think I'm pretty good at these things," he said.

He added that he believes Putin wants to make a deal."I've made eight deals. I'll make a ninth one. I think he wants to make a deal," he said.

"Russia could have won the war in a week, they didn't. We gave them Javelins, their tanks got stuck in the mud trying to get to Kiev. I gave them Javelins, Obama gave them sheets," Trump said.

Trump:

The Russians would have been in Kyiv very quickly if it wasn't for the weather and the Javelins.

In war, you have a lot of luck too.

Some brilliant general decided to go through the mud.

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 17, 2025

Thousands of Ukrainian drones in exchange

Zelensky offered thousands of Ukrainian drones to Washington in exchange for Tomahawks, saying they could work complementary: You don't just use Tomahawks if you want to target a military wall, you need thousands of drones. They go hand in hand with such missiles.

He added that Ukraine has the production for thousands of drones but does not have the Tomahawk, and offered cooperation: The US can have thousands of ours. We can cooperate and boost American production.

He also emphasized that the battlefield is technological warfare .

Trump again appeared cautious, citing US defense needs: We want Tomahawks too. We're giving things that we need to protect our country. I want this war to end.

Zelensky continued by saying that they began to understand each other better, as the US president was extensively briefed on the situation on the ground. He reiterated that the first step is to sit down and talk, and that Ukraine is ready to participate in any format of negotiations, bilateral or trilateral.

For Ukrainians, NATO is very important. But the most important thing is to have real security guarantees, he said, adding: Weapons are important, allies on our side are important, and bilateral security guarantees between me and President Trump are very important.

Trump: Honored to be next to a strong leader

Opening remarks at the White House with Ukrainian President Zelensky, Trump said:"It's an honor to be here with a very strong leader, a man who has been through a lot, a man who I've gotten to know very well and we've worked together really well. President Zelensky of Ukraine has been through a lot, he's really been through a lot and we've been through it with him."

Speaking from the White House alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Donald J. Trump states: “It’s an honor to be here with a very strong leader, a man who’s been through a lot, a man who I have gotten to know very well and we’ve gotten along really very…

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 17, 2025

This meeting was the third at the White House and the sixth overall between the two leaders this year, as Kiev tries to persuade Trump to prioritize sending new weapons over diplomatic initiatives.