Trump hesitant to supply Tomahawks to Ukraine amid Russia warning
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has expressed hesitance in supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Trump raised concerns over depleting US defense resources. "We need tomahawks, and we need a lot of other things that we've been sending over the last four years to Ukraine," he said. This development followed a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned that supplying these missiles would harm US-Russian relations without altering battlefield dynamics.
Missile plea
'We don't have Tomahawks, that's why we need Tomahawks'
During the meeting, President Zelenskyy emphasized Ukraine's urgent need for missiles, stating, "We don't have Tomahawks, that's why we need Tomahawks." Trump said he would "much rather have them (Ukraine) not need Tomahawks." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said discussions about supplying Tomahawks had already pushed Putin into talks. "The conclusion is that we need to continue with strong steps. Strength can truly create momentum for peace," Sybiha said on the social platform X.
Diplomatic visit
Trump and Putin discuss potential summit in Budapest
Zelenskyy's visit to Washington came a day after a phone call between Trump and Putin. The two leaders had discussed the Ukraine conflict, with Trump expressing belief that Putin wants to end the war. He also hinted at a possible summit in Budapest, Hungary, between himself and Putin. During his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Possible summit
Zelensky proposes storing US liquefied natural gas in Ukraine
Hungary said it would ensure Mr. Putin could enter and "hold successful talks" with the US despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes. "Budapest is the only suitable place in Europe for a USA-Russia peace summit," Hungarian President Viktor Orban said on X on Friday. Meanwhile, this is Trump's fifth face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy since returning to office earlier this year, and their second in under a month.
Peace efforts
Trump's foreign policy priority remains ending Ukraine war
Trump has said that his top foreign policy priority is to end the Ukraine war, and he remains optimistic about his chances of doing so. He has even suggested that negotiations between Putin and Zelensky may have to be indirect. "They don't get along too well, those two," Trump said. Currently, Russia occupies around a fifth of Ukrainian territory. On Friday, the Russian defense ministry announced it had captured three villages in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.