United States President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as he hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
On Friday, Trump also told reporters that Zelenskyy will “be in touch” during upcoming negotiations in Hungary, where the US president will meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list
But direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders are unlikely, according to Trump, who reemphasised “there’s a lot of blood” between the two presidents.
“I think we have a chance of ending the war quickly if flexibility is shown,” Trump told reporters.
For his part, Zelenskyy also said he was hopeful about the prospect of a resolution, citing Russian losses on the battlefield and the Trump-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.
“I think this is a momentum to finish Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
“I think that, yes, we understand that Putin is not ready,” he told Trump. “But I think that I’m confident that, with your help, we can stop this war, and we really need it.”
Friday’s meeting marked Zelenskyy’s third visit to Washington, DC, since Trump returned to office for a second term in January. The brief but amicable meeting showed an improvement in the ties between the two presidents.
By contrast, Zelenskyy’s first visit, in February, saw a testy exchange in the White House. Trump belittled the Ukrainian president, telling him – in front of reporters – that he is in a weak position.
Vice President JD Vance joined the public berating and accused Zelenskyy of failing to express gratitude to the US for supporting Ukraine. That meeting was ultimately cut short, and Zelenskyy left the White House early.
Tomahawk push
On Friday, however, Trump lauded Zelenskyy as a “very strong leader” and complimented his suit jacket.
Still, the US president did not commit to Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles, a brand of precise, long-range projectiles that Kyiv is seeking.
“They’re a very powerful weapon, but they’re a very dangerous weapon, and it could mean big escalation,” Trump said.
“It could mean a lot of bad things can happen. Tomahawks are a big deal. But one thing I have to say: We want Tomahawks also. We don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.”
The US president said he will continue to talk about the issue with Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president floated trading mass-produced Ukrainian drones for US Tomahawk missiles, a proposal that Trump expressed openness to.
Zelenskyy also stressed that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy with Russia to achieve a ceasefire.
“We understand what we need to push Putin to [the] negotiation table,” he told reporters. “And as I said previously, we are ready to speak in any kind of format – bilateral, trilateral, doesn’t matter. [What] matters [is] just peace.”
When asked whether Ukraine would give up its ambition of joining NATO in order to secure an end to the war, Zelenskyy sidestepped the idea, saying security guarantees remain important to Kyiv.
NATO offers a mutual defence pact to its members, meaning an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all. Russia has opposed Ukraine’s efforts to join the alliance.
Zelenskyy, however, suggested on Friday that Ukraine would also be satisfied with a defence alliance with the US.
“For us, bilateral security guarantees between me and President Trump is very important. I don’t know, we didn’t speak with details about it, but this is the most important document because the United States is very strong,” he said.
Putin ‘wants to make a deal’: Trump
Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, citing NATO’s expansion into former Soviet republics.
Ukrainian forces succeeded in fending off the initial stages of the offensive, which aimed to capture Kyiv. But the war has turned into a protracted conflict concentrated in the eastern parts of Ukraine.
Former US President Joe Biden showed unflinching support for Ukraine and worked with Congress to secure tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid for Kyiv.
But Trump, who had promised to end the conflict swiftly, has been less committed to support for Ukraine.
Instead, he has reestablished direct contact with Putin, and he has been pushing for a diplomatic end to the war.
However, in a major shift last month, he asserted that Ukraine can win militarily and reclaim all of the territories captured by Russia during the war.
On Thursday, the US president held what he called a “productive” phone call with Putin to arrange the upcoming meeting in Hungary. The two leaders had attended a bilateral summit in Alaska in August.
During Friday’s meeting with Zelenskyy, a reporter asked Trump whether Putin may be engaging in prolonged diplomacy to buy time and push on with the war.
“I’ve been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out really well, so it’s possible – a little time,” Trump said.
“It’s all right, but I think that I’m pretty good at this stuff. I think that he wants to make a deal.”