Zelensky-Trump Meeting: No Tomahawks for Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting lasted over two hours. The US president himself described the talks as very interesting and cordial. However, the Ukrainian leader did not receive the Tomahawk missiles he had sought.Trump made it clear that he had no plans to transfer them for now, as they could lead to escalation."These are powerful and dangerous weapons. Many bad things could happen," he stated."We will not transfer things we need to defend the country," he added. Trump also expressed his belief thatVladimir Putin is inclined to peace and that the Tomahawks may be unnecessary. Zelensky, in turn, told reporters that the issue of the missiles remains open. He added that Russia"is really afraid of them."

Zelensky's meeting with Trump ends abruptly."I think we're done."

Axios reveals the behind-the-scenes details of the meeting. The website emphasizes that it was"difficult" and the atmosphere was "tense." One source even said that the meeting was simply "bad." "Nobody was shouting, but Trump was tough ," the source said."Trump made several strong statements during the meeting, and it got a bit emotional at times," a second source told Axios."The meeting ended abruptly after 2.5 hours. "I think we're done. We'll see what happens next week," the US president reportedly said, referring to the planned talks between the US and Russia. Trump intends to meet with Putin in Budapest within the next two weeks.

Zelensky: Territorial issues will be the most difficult

After the meeting, a summary briefing was held. Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that a ceasefire must first be reached before a negotiation can begin. He noted that the most difficult issue to reach an agreement with Russia will be territorial issues. In his opinion, the Russians would like to occupy the entire territory and—even before a ceasefire is reached—agree on the division of Ukrainian territory. He added that other topics discussed with Donald Trump included security guarantees for Ukraine, air defense, and long-range weapons.

Sources: Axios, IAR