Trump meets Zelensky, says he hopes Tomahawks won’t be needed to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the White House on Friday looking for weapons to keep fighting his country’s war with Russia, but met an American president who appeared more intent on brokering a peace deal than upgrading Kyiv’s arsenal.

While US President Donald Trump did not rule out providing the long-range Tomahawk missiles Zelensky seeks, he appeared cool to the prospect as he looked ahead to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary in a matter of weeks.

After speaking with Zelensky for more than two hours, Trump issued a stern call to both sides on social media to “stop the killing, and make a DEAL!”

“They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” Trump said.

Trump’s move to re-engage with Putin, a strategy that has frustrated Kyiv and some European allies in the past, cast a shadow on the US president’s otherwise cordial exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart as they spoke with reporters ahead of a private lunch.

Trump said the two leaders would discuss his call the previous day with the Russian president. He portrayed himself as a mediator between the two warring forces, despite the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.