Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, urging the U.S. to approve the sale of long-range Tomahawk missiles to bolster Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Trump said he preferred diplomacy over escalation and announced plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks.
PETER DOOCY: “President Trump, you are the middle man right now hoping to end this conflict. Who is doing a better job negotiating — President Zelenskyy or President Putin?”
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 17, 2025
TRUMP: “I think they’re both doing a great job in that sense. We have to get it done.”
“They have… pic.twitter.com/yp9e6BcPuD
Trump described the planned event as a “double meeting,” where he would meet Putin and Zelenskyy separately to keep discussions “comfortable for everybody.”
The U.S. president has expressed caution about providing the missiles, citing his goal to end the war rather than intensify it.
The Kremlin has warned that supplying Tomahawks would mark a “serious escalation.” Zelenskyy’s visit followed meetings between Ukrainian officials, Raytheon executives, and U.S. lawmakers.
.@POTUS: "I have an obligation also though to make sure that we're completely stocked up as a country... We're going to be talking about Tomahawks, and we'd much rather have them not need Tomahawks. We'd much rather have the war be over." pic.twitter.com/g8uuIep36P
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 17, 2025
Despite his frustrations with Trump’s repeated delays on sanctions and aid, Zelenskyy remains focused on securing American weapons while Trump pursues what he calls “momentum for peace.”
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
