Trending 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that he remained “realistic” about the likelihood of receiving US Tomahawk missiles after President Donald Trump expressed reluctance to escalate tensions.
Zelenskyy visited the White House a day after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to hold a second meeting with him later this year in Budapest.
Speaking to reporters following his discussions with Trump, Zelenskyy confirmed that the two leaders had talked about Tomahawk missiles, which have a range of 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles), but that no formal decision or announcement had been made.
A Ukrainian official revealed that Zelenskyy presented Trump with maps showing potential targets inside Russia.
“Russia is genuinely afraid of Tomahawks because they are powerful weapons,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Ukraine’s drone capability. “They understand the strength of our weapons and what such a combination could mean.”
When asked whether the meeting left him more hopeful about securing the missiles, Zelenskyy replied, “I’m realistic.” He added, “We agreed not to speak publicly about it because no one — particularly the United States — wants escalation.”
Following his talks with Trump, Zelenskyy immediately joined a conference call with European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
European leaders had accompanied Zelenskyy to the White House during his previous visit in August, shortly after Trump’s earlier meeting with Putin in Alaska.
In February, soon after returning to office, Trump and Vice President JD Vance had criticised Zelenskyy for what they described as a lack of gratitude over previous US military aid.
When asked whether his call with European leaders was an attempt to seek reassurance amid Trump’s renewed engagement with Putin, Zelenskyy replied, “I didn’t call them for support — I already know we have their backing.”
Zelenskyy also expressed willingness to attend a potential three-way meeting with Trump and Putin at a future date but declined to comment on whether he would join them in Budapest.
