Trump and Zelenskyy Meet at White House: Tomahawk Missiles on the Table Amid Peace Talks

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (sitting, 2-L) and US President Donald J. Trump (2-R) enactment successful a bilateral gathering successful the Cabinet Room of the White House. Credit: Aaron Schartz / EPA via AMNA

A caller section successful an effort to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine appeared to unfastened connected Friday, erstwhile US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky astatine the White House, a time aft a telephone speech with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Although Trump did not regularisation retired providing the long-range Tomahawk missiles requested by Zelensky, helium struck a cautious tone, saying helium wanted to debar further escalation up of a planned gathering with Putin successful Hungary successful the coming weeks.

“Stop astatine the beforehand line, spell location to your families. Stop the killing,” Trump told reporters arsenic helium departed for his location successful West Palm Beach, Florida. “That’s it. Stop present astatine the beforehand line. I told that to President Zelensky. I told it to President Putin.”

US President Donald J. Trump gives remarks during a bilateral gathering successful the Cabinet Room of the White House. Credit: Aaron Schwartz / EPA via AMNA

Trump: “They request to enactment things out”

The meeting, held down closed doors, included discussions connected Trump’s earlier telephone telephone with Putin. “I judge President Zelensky wants to extremity the war, and I judge President Putin wants to extremity it too. Now they conscionable request to enactment things retired a bit,” helium said.

Zelensky, however, pushed back, saying, “We privation that. Putin doesn’t.”

The Ukrainian person told Trump that Kyiv has “thousands of drones ready” to onslaught Russian positions but needs US missiles. “We don’t person Tomahawks, that’s wherefore we request Tomahawks,” Zelensky said.

“We’d similar you didn’t request Tomahawks,” Trump replied.

Later, Trump emphasized the request to support the US arsenal. “We privation our ain Tomahawks. We don’t privation to springiness distant what we request for our protection,” helium said.

Zelensky: “We indispensable halt wherever we are and past talk”

Following what helium described arsenic a productive discussion, Zelensky said helium would nary longer dwell connected the long-range rocket issue, acknowledging Washington’s reluctance to escalate. “The President is right, and we indispensable halt wherever we are,” Zelensky said. “It’s important to halt wherever we are and past talk.”

The Ukrainian person aboriginal briefed respective European heads of state, saying helium was counting connected Trump to unit Putin into halting the war.

It remains unclear what Putin told Trump, but it prompted a follow-up gathering expected wrong weeks. Their past summit, successful Alaska successful August, ended without progress. The Kremlin said “many issues stay to beryllium decided” and suggested the gathering mightiness instrumentality spot “slightly later” than the two-week model mentioned by Trump.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (C) participates successful a bilateral gathering with US President Trump successful the Cabinet Room of the White House. Credit: Aaron Schwartz / EPA via AMNA

Trump’s conciliatory code raises concerns

Trump’s conciliatory code pursuing his telephone with Putin has raised questions astir aboriginal US subject enactment for Ukraine and renewed European concerns astir a imaginable Russia-leaning settlement.

An EU spokesperson said Brussels “welcomes immoderate talks that tin lend to bid successful Ukraine.” When asked whether helium feared Putin mightiness beryllium stalling, Trump quipped: “I’ve been played by the champion successful my life, and I’ve done conscionable fine, truthful it’s possible.”

Michael Carpenter, a erstwhile US authoritative present astatine the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the gathering “was not what Zelensky hoped for” but aligned with Trump’s broader attack to the conflict. Trump besides praised Zelensky’s acheronian tailored jacket—a motion to their archetypal White House gathering successful February— saying, “He looks handsome successful his jacket. I anticipation radical notice.”

Fighting intensifies arsenic Russia gains ground

More than 3 and a fractional years aft Russia’s invasion, Moscow has made humble territorial gains this year. However, Ukrainian commandant Oleksandr Syrskyi said Thursday that Russia’s latest violative had “failed.”

Putin claimed earlier this period that Russian forces had seized astir 5,000 quadrate kilometers (1,930 sq mi) of Ukrainian territory successful 2025—around 1 percent of the country—adding to the astir 20 percent occupied since 2022.

Both sides person intensified attacks connected vigor infrastructure, portion Russian drones and craft person breached NATO airspace, heightening determination tensions.

Analysts: “Moscow fears the Tomahawks”

According to aggregate reports, the White House has grown progressively frustrated with Putin’s stance and is earnestly considering supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Following Friday’s talks, Zelensky said Russia “fears the Tomahawks.” Moscow has warned that providing specified weapons would magnitude to a large escalation.

Putin appears to beryllium stalling US weapons deliveries by feigning involvement successful negotiations, argued Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mykola Bielieskov, a elder expert astatine the Ukrainian instauration Come Back Alive, which supports the military, added: “We don’t expect Russia to illness aft 1 oregon 2 palmy strikes. It’s astir sustained pressure—creating fractures successful Russia’s military-industrial complex.”