Trump to Meet Zelensky Friday, Weighs Tomahawk Missiles for Ukraine After ‘Productive’ Putin Call

WASHINGTON D.C. — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, with the urgent request for long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles dominating the agenda. The meeting, Zelensky’s third visit since January, comes at a pivotal moment, just one day after Trump announced “great progress” in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and an agreement for face-to-face talks in Hungary.

Zelensky has been pushing the U.S. to supply the advanced Tomahawk missiles, which boast a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles) and are capable of striking deep into Russian territory. Speaking on his arrival, the Ukrainian President suggested Moscow was “rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks.”

However, President Trump appeared to backtrack on the prospect of providing the missiles following his call with Putin. Earlier in the week, Trump had said, “We’ll see… I may,” when asked about sending the weapons. But his tone shifted after the Thursday call with the Russian leader, stating, “we can’t deplete” the U.S. stockpile, adding, “we need them too… so I don’t know what we can do about that.”

The timing of the Trump-Putin call has created diplomatic uncertainty for Kyiv. Trump described the conversation, the first since mid-August, as “very productive” and announced that high-level teams, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the U.S., would meet next week.

Furthermore, Trump said he expected to meet Putin in Hungary “within two weeks,” a plan that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban celebrated as “great news for the peace-loving people of the world.” Orban, a vocal critic of the EU’s pro-Ukraine stance, said Europe would be “left out of this peace process” and stressed the need for “negotiations with Russia.”

Trump, who had previously berated Zelensky in February before improving relations in recent months, stated he would update the Ukrainian leader on his talks with Putin, believing “great progress was made.” In his post on Truth Social, Trump indicated a focus on “Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over,” signaling his priority for post-conflict economic ties.

The flurry of high-level diplomacy was preceded by a significant escalation in hostilities. Hours before the Trump-Putin call, Russia launched one of its largest attacks of the year on Ukraine, including 28 ballistic missiles and 320 drones, according to Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishyna.

Stefanishyna condemned the timing of the overnight strikes, stating it “exposes Moscow’s real attitude toward peace.” She reiterated the call for “tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities” as the only effective response to what she called “Moscow’s strategy… one of terror and exhaustion.”

The meeting marks a critical moment as President Trump, having expressed frustration over the protracted conflict, continues to search for a breakthrough, even as his approach wavers between pressuring Russia and questioning military support for Ukraine.