Washington: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on October 17 to advocate for the provision of Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km.
This visit follows a productive phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which both leaders agreed to face-to-face talks in Hungary.
Trump described the call with Putin as very productive and announced that advisory teams from Washington and Moscow would meet next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation. Zelenskyy has highlighted that Moscow is keen to resume dialogue when discussions about Tomahawk missiles arise.
Earlier this week, Trump indicated that supplying Tomahawks was under consideration but stressed that the US cannot deplete its own stockpile, noting that missiles are also required domestically. Despite these caveats, the White House confirmed that Zelenskyy will receive an update on the Trump-Putin call during the meeting.
In parallel, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed a planned summit between Trump and Putin within two weeks. Orban described the meeting as positive for global peace and urged Europe to shift towards dialogue with Russia rather than escalating the conflict.
The timing of Zelenskyy’s visit coincides with Russia launching one of its largest attacks of the year on Ukraine, including 28 ballistic missiles and 320 drones, according to Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna. The attacks underline Moscow’s approach to the conflict, with Zelenskyy emphasizing the importance of international pressure, reinforced air defense, and long-range missile capabilities.
Relations between Trump and Zelenskyy have improved in recent months. After initial tensions, Trump publicly acknowledged Ukraine’s ability to reclaim occupied territories and set deadlines for Russian compliance with ceasefire proposals, though not all threats were enforced.
This meeting represents Zelenskyy’s third visit to the US since January and is expected to focus on bolstering military support amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, while Trump balances engagement with both Kyiv and Moscow.
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