Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, as Trump considers whether to supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep inside Russia.
The meeting comes just one day after Trump announced “significant progress” during a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where both leaders agreed to hold face-to-face talks in Hungary.
Trump described the call — his first with Putin since mid-August — as “very productive,” adding that U.S. and Russian delegations would meet next week.
As Zelensky arrived in the U.S. — his third visit since January — he remarked that Moscow rushed to reopen dialogue as soon as it heard about the potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles.
Zelensky has repeatedly urged Washington to provide advanced long-range weapons, emphasizing that Tomahawks, with a range of 2,500 km, would be crucial for Ukraine’s defense.
When asked earlier this week whether Trump was considering the move, the president said:
“We’ll see… I could do it.”
However, following his call with Putin, Trump appeared more cautious, stating that the U.S. “cannot deplete” its Tomahawk stockpiles, adding:
“We need them too.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump revealed that he and Putin spent considerable time discussing trade relations between Russia and the United States after the war in Ukraine ends. He also confirmed that high-level advisers from both countries will meet next week at an undisclosed location, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.
Trump added that he will brief Zelensky on his discussions with Putin during Friday’s meeting, noting:
“I believe we made tremendous progress with today’s phone call.”
The U.S. president later told reporters he expects to meet Putin in Hungary within two weeks, signaling a potential diplomatic shift in efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
