Trump Hesitates on Tomahawk Missiles Ahead of Zelenskyy Meeting/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump is signaling hesitancy to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles ahead of a key White House meeting with President Zelenskyy. Following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump suggested the U.S. should retain its own missile stockpile. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is expected to propose energy cooperation to bolster ties with the U.S.
Keyphrase + Quick Looks: Trump Ukraine Missile Deal Quick Looks
- Trump indicates reluctance to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
- U.S.-Russia relations influence decision after Trump-Putin call.
- Zelenskyy seeks deeper U.S. energy cooperation and LNG storage deals.
- Ukrainian officials believe talk of missiles pressured Russia into negotiations.
- Fourth in-person Trump-Zelenskyy meeting since January 2025.
- Trump and Putin plan to meet in Budapest.
- Ukraine war resolution remains top Trump foreign policy focus.
Deep Look
Trump Signals Reluctance to Arm Ukraine with Tomahawk Missiles Before Meeting with Zelenskyy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, but signs are emerging that Trump may not be ready to approve Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles — a key military aid ask aimed at turning the tide in the ongoing war with Russia.
This high-stakes meeting follows a significant phone call on Thursday between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In that call, the two leaders discussed the trajectory of the war in Ukraine, with Putin warning Trump that the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv would severely damage the fragile U.S.-Russia relationship.
“We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too,” Trump told reporters after the call. “We have a lot of them, but we need them. I mean we can’t deplete our country.”
The Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of roughly 995 miles (1,600 kilometers), would provide Ukraine the ability to strike far into Russian territory. President Zelenskyy has argued that such capability is essential for targeting military installations, energy hubs, and other critical infrastructure in Russia — moves he believes could pressure Moscow to take U.S.-led negotiations more seriously.
Despite Trump previously appearing open to the idea of arming Ukraine with such weapons, Putin’s stark warning seems to have tempered that enthusiasm. According to Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to Putin, the Russian president told Trump that giving Tomahawks to Ukraine would not change the battlefield reality but would deal a serious blow to U.S.-Russia diplomatic efforts.
Even so, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the mere discussion of Tomahawks has been impactful. “The conclusion is that we need to continue with strong steps. Strength can truly create momentum for peace,” Sybiha posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Zelenskyy, for his part, plans to broaden Friday’s discussion by appealing to Trump’s business sensibilities. Ukrainian officials have previewed plans to propose economic cooperation — particularly in energy — as a way to deepen bilateral ties. One of the key pitches: allowing American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be stored in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities, creating a new avenue for U.S. presence in Europe’s energy market.
During pre-meeting sessions with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and leading American energy companies, Zelenskyy emphasized the need to rebuild Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — heavily damaged by Russian airstrikes — and said he welcomes the expansion of American business involvement in Ukraine.
“Restoring our energy system and welcoming U.S. companies is part of Ukraine’s path forward,” Zelenskyy posted after the meetings.
The Friday summit marks the fourth in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since the former returned to office in January 2025 — and the second in under a month. Their continued interaction reflects the centrality of Ukraine in Trump’s foreign policy agenda.
Trump also revealed after the Putin call that the two leaders would meet soon in Budapest to further discuss an end to the war. Additionally, senior officials — including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — are scheduled to hold follow-up talks at an undisclosed location next week.
After successfully brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Trump has claimed that resolving the war in Ukraine is now his top global priority. “We’re closer than ever,” he said recently, signaling renewed optimism about finding a diplomatic solution.
However, Trump’s posture toward Russia has been mixed. Just last month, he expressed belief that Ukraine could reclaim all the territory it lost to Russian forces — a major rhetorical shift from earlier calls for Kyiv to make territorial concessions.
Trump’s confidence in an imminent peace deal took a hit in August following a failed diplomatic push. That month, he hosted Putin in Alaska and held a separate meeting at the White House with Zelenskyy and European leaders. While he emerged believing direct talks between the two presidents were close, Moscow has since escalated its attacks on Ukraine and shown no interest in sitting down with Zelenskyy.
In his most recent comments, Trump acknowledged that direct talks between the two wartime leaders might not be feasible.
“They don’t get along too well those two,” Trump said. “So we may do something where we’re separate. Separate but equal.”
That comment hints at Trump’s evolving strategy — potentially mediating a solution between the two sides without forcing a direct Zelenskyy-Putin encounter, at least not immediately.
As both leaders prepare for Friday’s meeting, questions remain: Will Trump shift his position on military aid again? And can economic incentives from Kyiv shift the dynamic?
For now, Ukraine waits — missiles withheld, but negotiations still alive.
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