U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington’s top priority is ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict through diplomatic solutions, therefore providing Tomahawk missiles to Kiev could undermine those efforts.
On October 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting lasting over 2 hours at the White House, discussing the war in Ukraine, including Kiev’s request for Tomahawk missiles.
Trump posted on Truth Social that the two sides had a friendly and positive meeting. The U.S. President said he wants the fighting in Ukraine to end soon. “I told the Ukrainian leader, just as I strongly suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that it’s time to stop the killing and reach an agreement!” Trump wrote.
Trump also praised Zelensky extensively, even expressing delight that the Ukrainian leader wore a “very fashionable” black vest this time, after previously being criticized for visiting the White House earlier this year without a jacket. “He looks very sharp in the vest,” Trump said. “I hope people will notice.”
Speaking after the meeting with President Zelensky, President Trump called for both Ukraine and Russia to “stop fighting immediately,” even if that means Kiev must accept stopping at the current front lines.
“Let the parties stop at the battle lines, and everyone should go home, back to their families,” Trump told reporters while returning to his home in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Stop the killing. That’s enough. Stop right at the battle lines. I said that to President Zelensky. I also said that to Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
“I think President Zelensky wants that, and I think President Putin wants that too. Now they just need to be on the same page,” Trump added.
For his part, Ukrainian President Zelensky noted that trying to reach a ceasefire agreement is extremely difficult. “We want that, but Putin doesn’t,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
President Zelensky stated that Ukraine has thousands of drones ready for an attack on Russian targets, but needs American missiles. “We don’t have Tomahawk missiles, that’s why we need Tomahawks,” Zelensky said.
In response, President Trump said he thinks Ukraine “would be better off not having to use Tomahawks.”
The White House leader then explained that he wants America to preserve its own weapons stockpile. “We also need Tomahawk missiles. We don’t want to give away weapons that we need to protect our country,” Trump noted.
After the meeting, President Zelensky described the talks with President Trump as constructive. The Ukrainian leader told the press that he didn’t want to discuss long-range missiles in depth, because America doesn’t want to escalate the conflict.
Ukrainian President Zelensky announced that he agreed with President Trump’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire with Russia along the current front lines.
“We must stop at the current positions. President Trump is right,” Zelensky told reporters in Washington D.C. on Friday, saying both sides could then discuss next steps toward achieving a lasting peace agreement. “Yes, both sides must stop,” the Ukrainian President emphasized.
A former U.S. official, now a senior expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, assessed that the meeting with Trump “wasn’t exactly what Zelensky expected,” but clearly reflects the current approach of the Trump administration toward the war. “The basic reality is that Washington isn’t inclined to increase pressure on Russia,” he said.
Before the meeting, some White House officials had suggested the possibility of considering transferring Tomahawks to Ukraine to enhance long-range strike capabilities. However, the October 17 Trump-Zelensky meeting shows the White House is currently choosing a more cautious approach.
The White House leader said on Thursday that America must ensure it has sufficient numbers of Tomahawk cruise missiles in its own weapons arsenal before considering transferring some to Ukraine.
American media reported that the U.S. government transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine could push Washington closer to direct confrontation with Moscow, while Russian officials continue warning about this dangerous escalation scenario.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he might consider transferring long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine if the conflict there doesn’t end soon, though acknowledging this move could be viewed as “
