Trump and Zelenskyy Meeting: Focus on Peace Deal More Than Tomahawk Missiles!

Trump Zelenskyy Meeting

Donald Trump, speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recent meeting, gave a clear signal that a peace deal is the priority, not weapons. After a surprise phone call with Putin, Trump's focus appears to be on ending the war, rather than delivering missiles.

Trump's Stance on Ukraine Missiles

At a White House meeting, Trump said that the US might need its Tomahawk cruise missiles for future conflicts. Therefore, he showed some hesitation about providing immediate supplies to Ukraine.

He spoke with Zelenskyy for more than two hours and urged both countries—Russia and Ukraine—to “Stop the war now. Stay at the battlelines. Go home, to your families.”

Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine has thousands of drones ready, but not missiles. “We don’t have Tomahawks, that’s why we need them.”

Trump's reply was – "We want you to not need them at all."

Trump's tone softens after Putin call

Trump's doubtful tone on missiles came after a surprise call from Vladimir Putin. Putin had warned that if the US deployed Tomahawks, US-Russia relations could be damaged.

This was also Putin and Trump's eighth call since January—and every time Trump seems to favor Ukraine, a Putin call softens his tone again.

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Meeting in Hungary

Trump has confirmed that he will meet with Putin in Hungary soon. Orbán, the Hungarian PM, said, "Preparations for a USA-Russia peace summit are underway."

It is not yet clear how Putin's travel will take place, as he also faces an ICC warrant.

Trump and Putin also met in Alaska in August, but no major breakthrough was achieved. This time, Trump said that US and Russian officials will hold high-level talks next week first.

Zelenskyy's reaction and hope

Zelenskyy did not elaborate on the missiles, saying, "The US does not want escalation."

He said it would now depend on Trump to pressure Putin to stop the war.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote, "The discussion of Tomahawk missiles forced Putin to dialogue with the US."

It remains to be seen whether any concrete peace initiatives emerge from the Budapest meeting. Trump seems optimistic, but VP JD Vance has cautioned – “Both sides are not ready for a deal yet.”