Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the White House seeking advanced U.S. weapons to continue defending against Russia, but U.S. President Donald Trump appeared more focused on brokering peace than expanding Ukraine’s arsenal. While Trump did not reject Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles, he showed little enthusiasm, emphasizing his plan to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary soon.
Following a two-hour discussion, Trump urged both nations to “stop the war immediately” and halt fighting along current battle lines. “Stop the killing,” he said, adding that he had delivered the same message to Putin. The U.S. president’s renewed outreach to Moscow has stirred unease among European allies wary of a peace deal favoring Russia.
Zelenskiy acknowledged Ukraine’s readiness for an offensive using thousands of drones but reiterated his need for long-range missiles. “We don’t have Tomahawks, that’s why we need them,” he told reporters. Trump replied, “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks,” insisting the U.S. must retain weapons vital to its own defense.
After the meeting, Zelenskiy described the talks as “productive” but admitted Washington’s reluctance to escalate tensions. He said he now relies on Trump’s influence to push Putin toward ending the war.
Trump’s conciliatory tone and plans to meet Putin have fueled concerns that the U.S. may withhold further military aid. Analysts, including Michael Carpenter from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the administration’s stance shows “no inclination to impose costs on Russia.”
Despite Russia’s recent territorial gains—claiming about 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land this year—Ukraine’s military maintains that Moscow’s broader offensive has failed. Experts like Mykola Bielieskov argue that supplying Tomahawk missiles would help Ukraine disrupt Russia’s war industry and shift battlefield dynamics.