Zelensky meets Trump at White House as U.S. President prepares Putin summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, seeking to secure U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles even as Trump prepared for another high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This marks Zelensky’s third visit to Washington since Trump’s return to office, following a tense televised clash in February and a reconciliatory meeting in August. The visit comes amid renewed uncertainty over Trump’s shifting approach to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

On the eve of Zelensky’s arrival, Trump announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest for fresh peace talks aimed at ending Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv had hoped the U.S. trip would increase pressure on the Kremlin, particularly through approval of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory.

Trump, who has often claimed he could end the war “within 24 hours,” now appears focused on achieving another diplomatic breakthrough, following the Gaza ceasefire deal he brokered last week.

“I had a very productive call with President Putin,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, confirming that their meeting would take place in Budapest within two weeks. He added that he intended to hold “separate but equal” talks with both Putin and Zelensky but offered no further details.

Zelensky, speaking upon his arrival in Washington, expressed hope that the momentum from the Middle East peace efforts could help end Russia’s aggression. “We expect that the momentum of curbing terror and war that succeeded in the Middle East will help to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” he posted on X.

The Ukrainian leader argued that even the prospect of Tomahawks had prompted Moscow to engage in renewed dialogue. “We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks,” he stated.

During his U.S. visit, Zelensky also met with executives from defense giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to discuss cooperation and potential joint production of military equipment, including Tomahawk missiles, Patriot systems, and F-16 fighter jets.

However, Trump cast doubt on whether Kyiv would receive the weapons, noting that the U.S. could not “deplete” its own arsenal. “We need them too, so I don’t know what we can do about that,” he said, adding that Putin “didn’t like it” when he raised the issue during their recent call.

The Kremlin confirmed it was preparing for the Budapest summit after what it described as an “extremely frank and trustful” discussion between Trump and Putin. Putin reportedly warned that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would “not change the situation on the battlefield” and could undermine peace efforts, according to his aide Yuri Ushakov.

Trump’s relations with both leaders have fluctuated since his return to power in January. While he has long expressed admiration for Putin, frustration has grown after their last meeting in Alaska yielded no progress. Zelensky, once at odds with Trump, has recently repaired relations following a contentious Oval Office encounter earlier in the year, where the Ukrainian leader was publicly scolded.

His August visit, this time in formal attire after being mocked previously, saw him joined by several Western leaders in a show of unity — a gesture he hopes to replicate as he seeks stronger U.S. military support amid Trump’s renewed diplomacy with Moscow.