WASHINGTON, United States – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, hoping to secure renewed military support.
Especially long-range Tomahawk missiles. But the Ukrainian leader faced a more diplomatic stance than military support. Trump seemed more interested in “ending the war” than bolstering Kyiv’s arsenal.
According to informed sources who spoke to CNN, the meeting was “tense, frank, and at times uncomfortable,” despite the public exchange of diplomatic statements.
Trump proposes a “ceasefire” in exchange for “concessions”
During the closed-door meeting, which lasted more than two hours, Trump called on both sides to “cease fighting along the current front lines.”
Noting that reaching peace may require Ukraine to give up some territory, which Russia has occupied since the invasion began in 2022.
“Stop the line. Both sides need to go home to their families,” Trump told reporters on his way to his Florida home. “Stop the killing. I told President Zelenskyy that. I told President Putin that.”
Trump also revealed a previous phone call he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he plans to meet him in the coming weeks in Hungary.
This communication cast a shadow over the meeting, particularly given Zelensky’s and European allies’ disappointment with Trump’s insistence on playing the role of mediator, even though Russia was the party that initiated the war.
Tomahawk…a weapon that will not surrender?
Although Zelensky made a clear request for Tomahawk missiles to bolster his country’s offensive capabilities, Trump responded cautiously, saying, “We’d rather they didn’t need Tomahawk missiles.”
We want Tomahawk missiles, too. We don’t want to give up things we need to protect our country.”
According to Axios, US officials stressed that Trump believes supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles could undermine his mediation efforts, believing that diplomacy is the priority now.
Zelensky: “We want peace, but Putin doesn’t.”
In contrast, Zelenskyy affirmed his desire to end the war, but indicated that the real obstacle lies in Moscow’s refusal to engage seriously in peace talks.
“We want this. Putin doesn’t want it,” the Ukrainian president said.
“We don’t have Tomahawk missiles, and that’s why we need them,” he added.
But he later sounded cautious in his remarks, telling reporters that he was “realistic” about the prospects of acquiring advanced weapons from Washington, and that the United States did not want escalation.
Trump’s position: A deal at any cost?
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated his call to stop the war. He implicitly called on Ukraine to accept the status quo: “It’s time to stop the killing and make a deal! They must stop where they are. Let both declare victory, and let history decide.”
Despite the tense atmosphere, Zelensky described the meeting as “fruitful” and expressed hope that Trump would pressure Putin to stop the war. The Ukrainian leader also held subsequent calls with European leaders to update them on the results of the talks.
