Trump to Meet Zelensky as Potential Tomahawk Missile Transfer to Ukraine Hangs in Balance After Putin Call

Donald Trump indicated he would update Zelensky regarding his Russia discussions during their upcoming Oval Office meeting on Friday.

Washington:

President Donald Trump is scheduled to discuss potential Tomahawk missile supplies to Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, though prospects for this assistance have become uncertain following Trump's unexpected announcement of a new summit with Russia.

Trump revealed on Thursday that he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest within two weeks, following a productive phone conversation lasting over two hours that focused on Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"Throughout my life, I've been making deals," Trump later told reporters at the White House. "I believe we'll finalize this one, hopefully soon."

In a Truth Social post, Trump mentioned he would brief Zelensky about his Russia discussions during their Oval Office meeting on Friday.

Trump's conciliatory approach after his conversation with Putin has raised doubts about the likelihood of immediate assistance to Ukraine and rekindled European concerns about possible US concessions to Moscow.

The US president, who has expressed interest in the Nobel Peace Prize, is keen to expand the list of conflicts he claims to have helped resolve.

War Continues to Intensify

More than three and a half years after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has secured some territorial gains this year.

Earlier this month, Putin stated that his forces had captured nearly 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025 - adding approximately 1% to the nearly 20% of Ukraine already under Russian control.

Both nations have escalated attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, while Russian drones and aircraft have occasionally violated NATO airspace.

The White House had appeared to be moving toward offering Zelensky additional support in recent days, showing increasing frustration with Putin.

The newly announced meeting, which Trump expects to occur within two weeks, comes amid his consideration of supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles.

"We need them as well," Trump remarked about the missiles on Thursday when speaking to reporters after his call with Putin.

These weapons are widely considered in Ukraine to be potential gamechangers that would enhance their capability to strike Russian energy facilities located far from the border, where they have already inflicted significant damage.

Zelensky, whose relationship with Trump has fluctuated, suggested that Putin, who continued military operations against Ukraine after meeting Trump in Alaska in August, was again employing delay tactics.

"We can already observe Moscow rushing to resume dialogue as soon as there's mention of Tomahawks," he wrote on X.

Analysts View Talks as Delaying Strategy

Putin's initiative appears designed to reduce the likelihood of such weapons transfers, according to Max Bergmann, a Russia specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Putin's outreach seems intended to prevent the potential transfer of Tomahawks to Ukraine, attempting to prevent that possibility," Bergmann noted. "It appears to be a stalling tactic."

Mykola Bielieskov, senior analyst at Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that procures military equipment for Ukrainian armed forces, stated that Tomahawk missiles would help balance the currently Russia-favored military equation, though they wouldn't provide an immediate solution.

"We don't anticipate Russia collapsing after one, two, or three successful strikes," Bielieskov explained. "It's about maintaining constant pressure and disrupting their military industrial complex."

Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened action against Russia, only to postpone these measures following discussions with Putin.

"The prospects of progressing toward a ceasefire by pressuring Russia to engage seriously appear to have diminished," said Dan Fried, a former State Department official.

During Thursday's call, Putin warned Trump that providing long-range missiles to Ukraine would undermine peace efforts and damage US-Russia relations, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. Trump confirmed Putin's opposition to such transfers.

"What do you expect him to say, 'Please sell Tomahawks?'" Trump joked with reporters. "No, he doesn't want" Ukraine to receive Tomahawks, Trump added, describing them as a "vicious weapon."