U.S. President Prioritises Peace Talks Over Supplying Missiles to Ukraine

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over lunch at the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared more focused on brokering a peace deal than providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. President Trump suggested that the United States might need to retain such weapons for potential future conflicts.

Although he did not rule out supplying the long-range missiles Kyiv has requested, President Trump seemed hesitant, particularly as he prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary in the coming weeks.

Following more than two hours of discussions with President Zelenskyy, President Trump urged both Ukraine and Russia to “stop the war immediately”.

“You stop at the battle line, and both sides should go home, go to their families,” President Trump told reporters en route to his residence in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Stop the killing. And that should be it. Stop right now at the battle line. I told that to President Zelenskyy. I told it to President Putin.”

President Zelenskyy emphasised Ukraine’s need for advanced weaponry, stating that while the country has thousands of drones ready for offensive operations, it lacks Tomahawk missiles.

“We don’t have Tomahawks — that’s why we need Tomahawks,” he said.

President Trump replied: “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks.”

Later, President Trump reiterated his stance that the U.S. should prioritise its own defence needs.

“We want Tomahawks, too. We don’t want to be giving away things we need to protect our country,” he said.

President Trump’s cautious tone follows a phone call with President Putin on Friday, during which the Russian leader reportedly warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine would harm U.S.-Russia relations.

President Trump’s position on arming Ukraine has shifted several times since returning to office in January, often following discussions with President Putin or with European allies supporting Kyiv.

During his meeting with President Zelenskyy, President Trump also discussed plans for a bilateral summit with President Putin in Budapest. While it remains unclear whether President Zelenskyy will participate, President Trump confirmed that he would brief him on the talks.

“There is a lot of bad blood,” President Trump remarked.

After the meeting, President Trump took to social media, urging both sides to “stop the killing, and make a DEAL!”, adding: “They should stop where they are. Let both claim victory — let history decide!”

President Zelenskyy later told reporters he was “realistic” about his prospects of receiving long-range missiles, acknowledging Washington’s reluctance to escalate the conflict. He said he was relying on President Trump to press President Putin to “stop this war”.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, President Putin initiated Thursday’s phone call with Trump, warning that the supply of Tomahawks would not alter the situation on the battlefield but would “cause substantial damage to relations between our countries”.

It was reportedly the eighth call between the two leaders since President Trump returned to office, continuing a pattern where President Trump’s tone towards Russia often softens following direct contact with Putin.

Following their call, President Trump announced plans to meet President Putin in Budapest “within two weeks or later”, in what he described as an effort to end the conflict. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirmed preparations for the “U.S.–Russia peace summit”, writing on X that arrangements were under way.

Questions remain, however, about how Putin would travel to Hungary, given EU airspace restrictions and an outstanding warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Despite Hungary being an ICC signatory, Orbán has previously said he would not order President Putin’s arrest.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed that President Putin would be welcomed: “There is no need for consultation with anyone. We are a sovereign country. We will receive him with respect, host him, and provide the conditions for negotiations with the American president.”

President Trump and President Putin last met in Alaska in August, though those talks yielded no significant diplomatic outcome. Fresh high-level discussions between Washington and Moscow are expected next week, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of the anticipated Budapest summit.

President Trump hinted that any future negotiations between President Putin and President Zelenskyy might need to be indirect, noting: “They don’t get along too well, those two. So we may do something where we’re separate — separate but equal.”

Ukrainian officials tried to frame President Putin’s outreach as a sign of Moscow’s unease.

“Even the discussion of Tomahawk missiles forced Putin back into dialogue with America,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. “The conclusion is that we must continue taking strong steps. Strength can create momentum for peace.”



PUKMEDIA