At the top of Zelenskyj's wish list ahead of Friday's highly anticipated meeting with Trump were the Tomahawk robots highly sought after by Ukraine. With their range and projectile path, they are considered to be able to change the conditions of the war in Ukraine's favor.
Talked to Putin
But it was a no from Donald Trump – at least for now.
Hopefully, they won't need it, hopefully we'll be able to end the war without having to think about Tomahawks. I think we're pretty close to that, Trump said in connection with the meeting, according to the media.
It would mean more escalation, a lot of bad things could happen.
The message comes after Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone on Thursday. Putin has previously said that American deliveries of Tomahawk robots to Ukraine would mean a "qualitatively new escalation" of the war.
Trump and Putin agreed to meet in Hungary soon, probably within two weeks.
Time for an end?
After the meeting at the White House, Zelenskyj spoke with several European leaders who then published statements in support of Ukraine.
"Our common goal is still a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. To achieve this, military, economic and diplomatic support as well as security guarantees are necessary", writes EU Council President António Costa in a post on X after the group conversation.
Donald Trump wrote after the meeting on social media:
"It's time to stop the killing and make a deal! Enough blood has been spilled. They should stay where they are. Let both claim victory, let history decide!"
