Trump-Zelenskyy meeting: Tomahawk decision wavers after Putin call
President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, but has tempered talk of sending Tomahawk cruise missiles that could strike deep inside Russia. After a lengthy call on Thursday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump told reporters that the U.S. needs the weapons for itself.
As recently as Sunday, Trump said he was “going to send Tomahawks” to Ukraine if the war was not settled.
But after speaking with Putin, he cautioned: “We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too. We have a lot of them, but we need them. We can’t deplete our country.”
According to The Associated Press, Putin advisor Yuri Ushakov warned that transferring the weapons “would cause substantial damage” to U.S.–Russian ties.
Deep strikes and energy deals
Since at least October 2024, when Zelenskyy criticized a leak about Kyiv’s confidential request for Tomahawk missiles and hinted that Ukraine was seeking the system, he has pushed for long-range options to hit military targets and infrastructure, according to Newsweek and Reuters.
He first framed the ask as part of a confidential “non-nuclear deterrence package” within a broader “victory plan.”
Tomahawks would give Kyiv the ability to hit targets deep inside Russia. Variants have a range of roughly 1,500 miles and fly at low altitude, making them harder to intercept.
Deutsche Welle reports that, if the U.S. supplies Tomahawks, Zelenskyy says Ukraine would use them only against Russian military targets.
On the economic front, Ukrainian officials say he plans to court Trump with proposals that include storing U.S. liquefied natural gas in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities to strengthen a U.S. foothold in Europe’s energy market, the AP reported.
Zelenskyy previewed that pitch on Thursday in meetings with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and U.S. energy executives. He later wrote on X that Ukraine must rebuild war-damaged energy infrastructure and expand “the presence of American businesses in Ukraine.”
Putin’s diplomatic calendar
Trump said he and Putin will meet soon in Budapest “to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war… to an end.” Senior aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are also set to meet with Russian counterparts next week, according to the AP.
Trump added on Truth Social that Putin congratulated him on the Middle East peace deal, which Trump believes will help negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed that Budapest is ready to host the summit, telling Russian state media that his country will provide “full security” for the talks to be successful and ensure that Putin can return home. Putin faces war-crimes charges from the International Criminal Court, which Hungary does not recognize.
Hungary withdrew from the ICC in April after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the ICC had become a tool of political influence.
Why Trump’s posture might be shifting
Trump has voiced growing frustration with Putin and, at times, greater confidence in Ukraine’s prospects.
NPR reported that in September, Trump called Russia a “paper tiger” and suggested that Ukraine could reclaim all occupied territory. Former U.S. diplomat Daniel Fried told NPR that Trump may have been impressed by Ukraine’s deep strikes and now sees backing Putin as “backing somebody who’s a potential loser.”
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told NPR that sometimes “pushing hard for peace” means recognizing Russia as the aggressor and arming Ukraine accordingly.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
