During a recent meeting at the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to leave without securing the highly anticipated Tomahawk cruise missiles from US President Donald Trump. Despite their friendly discussions, Trump conveyed reluctance to provide these long-range weapons to Ukraine at this time.
Following their conversation, Zelensky acknowledged that the topic of advanced missile systems was addressed but refrained from making definitive statements, citing the United States’ desire to avoid escalating the conflict further. Shortly after, Trump took to social media urging both Kyiv and Moscow to halt hostilities and seek an end to the ongoing war.
This encounter between Trump and Zelensky occurred just one day after Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they agreed to arrange a meeting in Hungary in the near future.
Zelensky has argued that deploying Tomahawk missiles against Russian oil and energy infrastructure could critically undermine Putin’s capacity to sustain the war effort. However, Trump’s remarks at the White House suggested a cautious stance rather than a firm commitment.
“Hopefully, the situation won’t require their use, and we can bring the conflict to a close without resorting to Tomahawks,” Trump stated, adding, “I believe we are quite close to achieving that.”
He acknowledged the strategic importance of these weapons, describing them as “significant” and emphasizing that the US must retain them for its own defense. Trump also warned that supplying such missiles to Ukraine might escalate tensions, though he indicated that conversations about potential delivery would continue.
When asked by the BBC whether the prospect of Tomahawk missiles influenced Putin’s willingness to meet, Trump responded, “The threat of those missiles is always present, and that in itself is a deterrent.”
