Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has arrived at the White House. Trump and he are answering questions from the press. The US president had previously announced a meeting with Putin in Hungary – and provided insights into the telephone conversation between the two. More in the live ticker.

Shaking hands in front of the world press: US President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy meet again in Washington. Zelenskyy is suggesting a swap of drones for Tomahawks.

9:00 PM – Trump praises Zelensky's outfit

The Ukrainian president looked"handsome" in his jacket, Trump said, adding,"Very stylish. I like it." Zelenskyy arrived in a black suit jacket. In February, he was criticized in front of the cameras for his allegedly overly casual outfit when he appeared in a simple sweater – a symbol of his role as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.

8:14 p.m. – “President Trump now has a great opportunity to end this war,” says Selenskyj

According to Zelensky, Trump could potentially use the momentum of the ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky congratulates Trump on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas and the release of the Israeli hostages. Trump could also use this momentum to end the Russian invasion war."President Trump now has a great opportunity to end this war," Zelensky says.

8:11 p.m. – Selenskyj probably not present in Hungary

US President Trump intends to meet with Kremlin President Vladimir Putin in Hungary, presumably one-on-one, without direct involvement from Ukraine. At the same time, however, they want to stay in contact with Zelensky. There is a lot of bad blood between Moscow and Kyiv. Trump adds that they want to make it pleasant for everyone. All three sides—Russia, Ukraine, and the US—will be involved in one way or another, but this could be done separately, he says.

20:04 – Drones vs. Tomahawk? Zelenskyy proposes agreement

Ukraine doesn't have Tomahawk cruise missiles, but it does have a high level of drone production, Zelensky told the press. He suggested cooperation. Trump responded that the US also produces its own drones, but also pointed to purchases from other countries and the growing importance of the technology in wars. But:"We would prefer if they didn't need the Tomahawks," Trump said.

Asked whether Trump still believes that Ukraine could get Crimea back, the US president says that war is “very interesting, you never know.”

7:57 PM – Praise for Zelensky as a “strong head of state”

At the beginning of their meeting in the White House, Trump praised the Ukrainian president for his strength. It was an honor to meet with such a strong leader, he said. Zelenskyy had been through a lot, and the US had been through it with him. They got along very well.

7:35 p.m. – Trump welcomes Zelensky – apparently no fireside chat

Zelensky arrived at the White House and was greeted by US President Trump. Reporters could be heard in the background shouting questions at Trump about a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

According to WELT correspondent Michael Wüllenweber, no fireside chat is planned; they will sit down at the table straight away.

5:30 p.m. – Trump claims to have joked about Tomahawk delivery in Putin phone call

At a press conference following the phone call with Russian leader Putin, Trump was asked whether he had also discussed a possible delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Trump answered in the affirmative and then explained that the US also needed the weapon—he didn't know what could be done. Another reporter followed up with a question: Had Putin tried to dissuade the US president from delivering the missiles?

Trump reacted amusedly:"What do you think he said? Please sell the Tomahawks?" And then added: "I actually said, 'Would you mind if I delivered a few thousand Tomahawks to your adversary?' That's exactly what I said." Putin "didn't like" the idea.

3:53 PM – Nouripour criticizes Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest

Bundestag Vice President Omid Nouripour is demanding that the German government clearly reject the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest."The German government should defend the EU and German interests," he told dpa.

"This means rejecting such a showmanship instead of lavishing praise on Trump's naive proposal," Nouripour said. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) had previously welcomed the proposal. The EU is"not a stage for fruitless showmanship without Ukraine's participation, as we saw in Alaska."

14:57 – Klingbeil: We are on the right track for the next billion-dollar loan to Kyiv

According to German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD), the West is well on its way to providing Ukraine with another billion-euro loan. Germany intends to continue supporting Ukraine, Klingbeil said on the sidelines of the IMF's fall meeting in Washington. The war must end with a just peace. This requires pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

1:36 p.m. – Possible Trump-Putin meeting: Berlin calls for increased pressure on Russia

Against the backdrop of a possible meeting between US President Trump and Kremlin leader Putin, the German government is calling for more pressure on the Russian leader to achieve a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. Germany supports US President Trump's efforts to"get a peace process moving again," said deputy government spokesperson Steffen Meyer. However, Putin has so far shown no willingness to engage in serious peace talks.

Without a ceasefire,"it makes little sense to discuss peace," Meyer emphasized. The German government is certainly"skeptical about how Vladimir Putin will behave on this issue." The past weeks and months have shown that Putin "clearly had no interest in seriously pursuing this peace process."

It is good that US President Trump is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, Meyer said. From Germany's perspective,"pressure must urgently be increased on Vladimir Putin to be available for serious peace talks."

1:25 p.m. – Russian threatens family on train because they speak Ukrainian

A violent incident occurred on Monday evening on a regional train between Interlaken and Spiez in Switzerland: A Russian-speaking man attacked a family after apparently hearing them speaking Ukrainian. As the news portal"20Minuten" reports, the man first threatened the family verbally and then became physically violent:"Get the hell out of here." He then allegedly made several loud death threats: "I am a Russian person. We will kill until the end. You, and you, and everyone else."

The victim's family lives in Switzerland, and the father speaks fluent Russian. The wife filmed the incident, whereupon the attacker attempted to knock the phone out of her hand. The father fought him off. The one-year-old child, who was with him, was severely frightened by the incident.

The video was posted on social media and viewed millions of times. It sparked widespread outrage, with many people expressing solidarity with the family.

Bern Cantonal Police confirmed the incident to"20 Minuten." No one was injured. The investigation is ongoing, and both parties have announced they will file charges. According to his family, the man was not visibly drunk, but had a beer with him.

12:10 p.m. – Planned Trump-Putin meeting – Orbán sees “signal from God”

Hungary has assured Putin entry for a planned summit with US President Trump in Budapest. According to Hungarian media, Orbán referred to this as a"signal from God." "God is sending signals that we are on the right path," the Hungarian head of government explained in an interview. In addition to Hungary's controversial strict stance on migration, he also referred to efforts to end the war in neighboring Ukraine.

12:16 p.m. – Foreign Office: Hungary should execute arrest warrant against Putin

According to the German government, Hungary would have to adhere to the statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the event of a potential meeting between the presidents of Russia and the USA, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Although the government in Budapest has declared its withdrawal from the court's statutes, this will not take effect until April of next year, according to a spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Therefore, Hungary remains obligated to execute the arrest warrant against Putin should the Russian president enter the country. Whether there are exceptions due to the possible peace negotiations between Trump and Putin is something Hungary must clarify with the court, the spokesperson added. This is not explicitly clarified in the statutes.

12:02 – Three more villages captured in eastern Ukraine

Russia reports a further advance by its invasion forces in eastern Ukraine. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the armed forces have captured three more villages there. Russian troops have taken control of the village of Pryvilla in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as Pishchane and Tyche in the Kharkiv region.

11:02 a.m. – Russian court sentences Ukrainian fighters to long prison terms

A Russian military court has sentenced 15 members of a Ukrainian militia to long prison terms for participating in a"terrorist organization." The men will be sentenced to 15 to 21 years in a penal colony with stricter conditions, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office announced on Friday. The convicts are members of the Ukrainian Aidar Battalion, who were captured in 2022. Their trial was held behind closed doors before a military court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

Human rights groups such as the Russian organization Memorial had criticized the actions as a violation of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war. Russia, however, rejects this claim. The charges are based on alleged activities between 2014 and March 2022, i.e., before the start of the all-out war against Ukraine. The men were not accused of war crimes, but of acts aimed at the"violent seizure of power and the overthrow of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation."

The Aidar Battalion was one of dozens of volunteer units formed in Ukraine after fighting broke out with Russian-backed groups in the east of the country in 2014. The units, some of which were considered ultranationalist, were later incorporated into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

10:59 a.m. – Two soldiers killed by truck in Ukraine

In southern Ukraine, a truck driver in the Odessa region killed two soldiers at a roadside checkpoint with his vehicle, according to police. The 63-year-old driver stated that he did not see the servicemen, aged 34 and 36, during the early morning incident, police in the Odessa region further reported. One of the soldiers died on the spot, the other on the way to the hospital. The truck driver was sober, and the circumstances of the incident must now be clarified.

Although the Odessa region lies far from the front lines, soldiers are deployed there due to the tense security situation and the threat posed by potential saboteurs and pro-Russian collaborators.

10:44 a.m. – Planned Trump-Putin meeting in Hungary: Orbán to speak with Putin on Friday

Orbán plans to speak with the Kremlin chief by phone regarding a possible meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest. He will speak with Putin on Friday morning, Orbán said on Hungarian radio. The goal is to find out"whether we can end this ignominious war between Russia and Ukraine," Trump wrote on his online service, Truth Social. According to him, the meeting is scheduled to take place within the next two weeks, but Trump did not specify a specific date.

Orbán said the Hungarian capital was"the only place in Europe where such a meeting can take place." He emphasized Hungary's commitment to peace in Europe. The national-conservative leader, in power since 2010, said Hungary had proven itself a"loyal partner" and "always stood by its friends."

An arrest warrant has been issued against Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes. However, Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the ICC, effective June 2, 2026.

09:48 – Putin convenes Security Council after talks with Trump

Following the agreement to hold a summit with US President Trump on the Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has convened the National Security Council. He has briefed the council members in detail about the conversation with Trump, Russian news agencies report, citing Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov. The two heads of state surprisingly agreed on Thursday to hold another summit on the Ukraine war. According to Trump, it will take place in Hungary.

08:46 – Orbán: Hungary has begun preparations for Trump-Putin meeting

According to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary has begun preparations for a meeting with Vladimir Putin announced by Donald Trump. He will speak with Putin on Friday about this, Orbán said. The meeting will be"about peace." A peace agreement in the Ukraine war would usher in a new phase of economic development in Hungary and Europe. On Thursday, after a phone call with Putin, Trump announced a meeting to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and suggested Hungary as the venue. Trump hailed this as a major step forward. On Friday, he will receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.

08:06 – Crimea and Russian regions report Ukrainian attacks

In the Black Sea region, the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow, and the Russian tourist metropolis of Sochi are reporting numerous Ukrainian attacks. Mayor Andrei Proshunin announced that a Ukrainian missile attack in Sochi was repelled. Residents of the city reported wailing sirens and explosions on social media. Tourists in hotels had to seek shelter in basements, it was reported. Proshunin urged people to avoid the beach and coastal areas and seek shelter.

According to media reports, Sochi Airport also experienced temporary traffic disruptions due to the air raid warning. No damage was initially reported. The Russian Defense Ministry reported the downing of 32 drones in Crimea. Authorities there reported damage to power substations and power outages.

Initially, unverifiable reports and videos circulated on social networks, claiming that a large oil depot belonging to a gas station network near the capital, Simferopol, was hit overnight. Gas stations in Crimea are already complaining about fuel shortages. Gasoline and diesel fuel are being rationed for motorists.

01:51 – Russian news agency reports death of its reporter at the front

According to his employer, a journalist from a Russian state news agency was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian-occupied part of the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. The RIA Novosti news agency reported on Thursday that Ivan Zuev died while reporting from Zaporizhia. The information cannot be independently verified.

According to journalists' organizations, nearly two dozen journalists have been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Just two weeks ago, French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed in a drone strike near the front lines in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. A Ukrainian colleague was injured in the attack.

23:37 – US President Trump expects meeting with Putin within two weeks

US President Donald Trump expects his planned meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital Budapest to take place within the next two weeks."I'll probably meet with him in the next two weeks," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. He added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would first hold talks with Russian representatives.

Trump also dampened Ukraine's expectations regarding the delivery of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. The US president said the US could not"empty" its own stockpile. He also discussed the possibility of supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine in his phone call with Putin. Putin"didn't like" the idea. Last weekend, Trump said he could threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin with supplying Tomahawks to Kyiv if Russia did not stop its attacks on Ukraine.

10:46 PM – Selenskyy hopes for “language of strength and justice”

Before his meeting with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the ceasefire in the Gaza war would also advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine."We hope that the momentum to curb terror and war, which has been successful in the Middle East, will also contribute to ending Russia's war against Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote on the online service X on Thursday after his arrival in Washington. The"language of strength and justice" will also work in dealing with Russia, he added. He continued:"We already see that Moscow is eager to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about the Tomahawks."

10:12 PM – Zelensky arrives in Washington for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the US capital, Washington, for talks. Meetings with defense companies were initially planned for Thursday (local time), the head of state announced on social media. Additional deliveries of air defense systems are also being discussed. Against the backdrop of the energy crisis in Ukraine caused by Russian attacks, meetings with representatives of US energy companies are also planned.

9:00 PM – Speaker: Trump believes Putin-Zelensky meeting is possible

When asked whether Trump still believes he can bring Putin and Zelensky to the table, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the US president, said:"I think he thinks it's possible." The first step now is to plan the meeting with Rubio and the Russian side and prepare for the meeting in Budapest.

After the Alaska summit, Leavitt, in response to journalists' questions, stated that Putin had agreed to a meeting with Zelensky. This time, she was more cautious: The Kremlin chief had agreed to a meeting with Trump, she said. When asked what would have to happen for Putin to be willing to talk with Zelensky, she replied:"I don't want to get into that."

8:45 PM – Kremlin warns again about Tomahawk deliveries

Putin's advisor, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed talks about a new summit. Trump suggested Budapest, and Putin immediately agreed. Putin reiterated during the conversation that the discussed deployment of American Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield. At the same time, it would cause"significant" damage to US-Russian relations and the prospects for a peaceful solution.