Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, seeking approval for the supply of American-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, even as Washington prepares for a new round of peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The meeting marks Zelensky’s third visit to Washington since Trump’s return to office, following a heated televised confrontation in February and a conciliatory meeting in August. The visit comes at a time of shifting U.S. policy toward the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, as Trump moves from military support toward renewed diplomacy.
On the eve of Zelensky’s arrival, Trump announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest in what he described as a “fresh bid” to broker peace and bring an end to the conflict that began in 2022.
The U.S. president, who recently mediated a ceasefire in Gaza, said he hoped similar momentum could help resolve the crisis in Eastern Europe.
“I had a very productive call with President Putin,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “We’ll meet in Budapest within the next two weeks, and I plan to hold separate but equal meetings with both leaders.”
Zelensky, speaking on arrival in Washington, said he hoped Trump’s recent diplomatic success in the Middle East would translate into progress for Ukraine.
“We expect that the momentum of curbing terror and war that succeeded in the Middle East will help end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Kyiv’s request for Tomahawk missiles — which have a range of up to 1,000 miles — was critical to maintaining pressure on Moscow.
“We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks,” he said, adding that he would also meet with U.S. defense manufacturers to discuss additional air defense support.
Trump, however, appeared cautious about the missile request, citing concerns over America’s own defense stockpile. “We can’t deplete our supply — we need them too,” the president said. “I don’t know what we can do about that.”
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The Kremlin confirmed preparations for the Budapest summit following what it described as an “extremely frank and trustful” phone conversation between Putin and Trump.
According to Putin’s top aide, Yuri Ushakov, the Russian president warned that sending Tomahawks to Ukraine would “not change the situation on the battlefield” and could “undermine prospects for peaceful resolution.”
Trump’s relationship with both Putin and Zelensky has fluctuated sharply since he returned to the White House in January. While his initial engagement with Moscow appeared cordial, frustrations have mounted over the lack of progress toward ending the war.
Zelensky, for his part, has worked to rebuild ties with the U.S. president after an early misstep during a tense Oval Office meeting, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance openly criticized him. The Ukrainian leader’s more recent visits — including one in August where he appeared alongside Western allies — have been aimed at strengthening U.S. support and maintaining global pressure on the Kremlin.
As diplomatic maneuvering intensifies, Washington’s next moves will be closely watched across Europe and beyond, with Ukraine’s battlefield resilience and Trump’s peace overtures both hanging in the balance.