US President Donald Trump hopes that the war in Ukraine will end without "Tomahawk" missiles. This became clear during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was visiting Washington. In front of the cameras, Zelensky offered the US to exchange Ukrainian drones for "Tomahawk", emphasizing that Kiev is ready to provide thousands of Ukrainian drones in exchange for cruise missiles. But Trump showed no interest, emphasizing that the Ukrainian devices are "very good", but the US itself needs "Tomahawk". The US president pointed out that "Tomahawk" are "magnificent, but very dangerous" weapons and that they could lead to an escalation.
After his meeting with Trump, the Ukrainian head of state told American media that he had spoken with the American president about the "Tomahawk", but the two had decided not to talk about it publicly, "because... the United States does not want an escalation".
"I think Russia is afraid of the "Tomahawk", it is really afraid, because it is a powerful weapon," Zelensky also told journalists after his meeting with Trump. He emphasized: "we believe that Trump wants to end this war".
During the joint press conference, the American president expressed hope that the war in Ukraine could end within a week. "I've already made eight deals, now I might make nine", Trump told reporters.
According to Trump, both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky want an end to the war. He did not directly answer the question of whether Ukraine would have to cede territory in order for a peace agreement to be signed, stating that wars are unpredictable.
The Ukrainian president, for his part, emphasized at a press conference that "Ukraine wants peace, and Russia doesn't" and said that, above all, it is necessary to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Earlier, the US president said that he did not consider this a mandatory condition for peace talks.
Trump will also meet with Putin
At the end of this week, it became clear that Donald Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin in Budapest. During a long phone call between the two, according to Russian sources, Putin spoke out against the delivery of "Tomahawk" missiles to Ukraine.
Trump said it was still unclear whether Zelensky would attend the planned US-Russian summit. "The two heads of state don't like each other and we want to make things pleasant for everyone," Trump said. One way or another, all three countries - Russia, Ukraine and the US - will be involved, but this could happen separately, he said. Trump had previously been working on a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Trump urges a truce
After the meeting, Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social that the conversation with Zelensky was cordial. In his post, he did not mention "Tomahawk", but he urged a truce between Russia and Ukraine. "Let both sides claim victory, let history decide." Both sides must "stop the killing and make a deal," Trump wrote. "They must stop where they are." Enough blood has been shed.
Donald Trump has long been trying to mediate in the war against Ukraine. But so far without much success. And this is already the Ukrainian president's third visit to the White House this year. In mid-August, the two met in a calmer atmosphere, after their first meeting in Washington in February ended in an unprecedented scandal.
Merz: "Ukraine needs a peace plan"
After his meeting with the American president on Friday, October 17, Volodymyr Zelensky informed his European partners about his visit to the White House, including Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius said Merz and European partners welcomed "close transatlantic cooperation and stressed the urgency of efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine." Merz said Ukraine now needs a peace plan.
European partners have promised Zelensky to expand their support "to get Russia to engage in serious negotiations," the government spokesman said in a statement. "Volodymyr Zelensky has the full support of Germany and his European friends on the path to peace," Friedrich Merz said.