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Trump tells Zelenskyy he wants to end war without sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
WASHINGTON ‒ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned to the White House on Oct. 17 in a push to convince President Donald Trump to arm Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory.
But as the two men met in the Cabinet Room, Trump said he believes there is “a chance to end the war quickly” without delivering Ukraine the long-range missiles to hit back against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also expressed concerns about the United States reducing its own supply of the weapons.
“We need Tomahawks, and we need a lot of the other things that we’ve been sending over the last four years to Ukraine,” Trump said. “One of the reasons we want to get this war over is exactly that ‒ it’s not easy for us to give. You’re talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons.”
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“Hopefully,” Trump added, “we’ll be able to get over with the war without thinking about Tomahawks.”
Zelenskyy told Trump the recent peace deal the U.S. president orchestrated in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas can serve as “momentum” to reach an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian leader also suggested a trade: His country could supply the United States with drones in exchange for the Tomahawk missiles. Trump said the United States would be interested in acquiring Ukrainian drones but made clear he would prefer not to send over Tomahawk missiles.
“They’re a very powerful weapon, but they’re a very dangerous weapon,” Trump said. “And it could mean escalation. It could mean ‒ a lot of bad things can happen. Tomahawks are a big deal.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during a meeting with President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet at the White House on Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.
Earlier this week, Trump seemed receptive to giving Ukraine the long-range missiles, but his tune changed on Oct. 16 after speaking by phone with Putin and agreeing to another U.S.-Russia summit in the coming weeks.
“I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said multiple times of Putin, with Zelenskyy sitting across the table.
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Flanked by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump opened the meeting by calling Zelenskyy “a very strong leader” who has “been through a lot.” He applauded the Ukrainian leader for once again showing up in a black suit after Zelenskky’s military attire during a heated February White House visit upset Trump.
“I think he looks beautiful in his jacket,” Trump said. “I hope people notice. It’s actually very stylish. I like it.”
Trump on Oct. 16 said he made “great progress” with Putin on their call about ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump said Putin had agreed to face-to-face talks with him in Budapest following more technical meetings between officials from Washington and Moscow.
President Donald Trump gestures as he greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrives for a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 17, 2025.
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Trump said he expected the Budapest meeting to take place “within two weeks.”
Zelenskyy has been asking the White House for months to give it Tomahawks, which have a range of 1,500 miles and would be a threat to Russia’s command and control of the war. Putin’s advisors have acknowledged that.
The meeting is Zelenskyy’s third White House visit during Trump’s second term. A trip that Zelenskyy made in February ended in a contentious televised exchange between him and Trump about how to deal with Putin and the war.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump won’t commit to Tomahawk missiles in meeting with Zelenskyy