Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived at the White House on Friday seeking advanced U.S. weapons to bolster his country’s defense against Russia. Instead, he encountered an American president intent on halting the war rather than escalating it.
While U.S. President Donald Trump did not entirely dismiss the idea of providing Tomahawk missiles, he appeared reluctant as he looked ahead to a forthcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary. After over two hours of talks, Trump urged both nations to end hostilities immediately — even if that meant Ukraine conceding territory.
“You stop at the battle line, and both sides should go home,” Trump told reporters en route to Florida. “Stop the killing — that should be it. I told that to President Zelenskiy. I told it to President Putin.”
Trump’s renewed outreach to Putin — a move that has previously unsettled Kyiv and European allies — cast a shadow over his otherwise cordial exchange with Zelenskiy. The two later met privately, discussing Trump’s recent phone call with Putin and the potential path toward negotiations.
“I think President Zelenskiy wants it done, and I think President Putin wants it done. Now all they have to do is get along a little bit,” Trump said, framing himself as a mediator. Zelenskiy, however, stressed that only one side truly seeks peace. “We want this. Putin doesn’t want it,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader candidly explained that Kyiv’s planned offensive required U.S.-supplied long-range weapons. “We don’t have Tomahawks, that’s why we need Tomahawks,” he said. Trump replied, “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks.” Later, he added, “We want to keep our own weapons — we don’t want to give away what we need to protect our country.”
Though Zelenskiy called the meeting “productive,” he acknowledged that Washington was wary of escalation. “I’m realistic,” he said, adding that he was counting on Trump to pressure Putin “to stop this war.”
Trump’s conciliatory tone followed a recent call with Putin, after which he agreed to meet the Russian leader again — possibly within weeks. The Kremlin, however, hinted the timing could shift. The August summit between the two had ended early without significant progress.
Trump’s remarks raised doubts about near-term U.S. military aid for Ukraine and reignited European concerns of a deal that could favor Moscow. Still, the European Union said it would welcome any genuine peace efforts.
Asked if he feared being manipulated by Putin, Trump quipped, “I’ve been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out really well — so it’s possible.”
Analysts said Zelenskiy likely left disappointed. Michael Carpenter, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said, “The underlying reality is that there is no inclination to impose costs on Russia.”
Despite tensions, Trump praised Zelenskiy’s appearance, joking that he looked “beautiful in his jacket” — a nod to past criticism over his attire during a previous White House visit.
Three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war remains intense. Russia claims to have seized 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year, while Kyiv insists Moscow’s broader offensive has failed. Both sides continue to target each other’s energy infrastructure, with Russian drones occasionally crossing into NATO airspace.
Experts believe Putin’s latest outreach aims to delay U.S. arms transfers, particularly the Tomahawk missiles that Kyiv views as a game-changer. Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said Moscow’s diplomacy was “meant to make U.S. weapons support less likely.”
Mykola Bielieskov, an analyst at the Ukrainian NGO Come Back Alive, said Tomahawks could shift battlefield dynamics. “It’s not about one or two strikes,” he said. “It’s about constant pressure — disrupting Russia’s war machine.”
