President Donald Trump signaled Friday that he is unlikely to approve Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, despite earlier hints he was open to the deal. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Trump stressed that the U.S. must keep its own missile stockpile intact while insisting the war should end without further escalation.
“I have an obligation also to make sure that we’re completely stocked up as a country, because you never know what’s going to happen in war and peace,” Trump said. “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks. We’d much rather have the war be over, to be honest.”
Zelenskyy had come to Washington with a proposal: Ukraine would provide the U.S. with advanced drones in exchange for the missiles, which Kyiv says are crucial to force Russia into serious negotiations. But Trump, fresh off a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin the day before, appeared to pivot away from the idea.
On his Truth Social account, Trump urged both sides to declare victory where they stand: “Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!”
The shift marks a disappointment for Kyiv, which views Tomahawks — with their nearly 1,000-mile range — as a game-changer that could hit deep inside Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha suggested the mere talk of Tomahawks had already pressured Putin into dialogue, adding that “strength can truly create momentum for peace.”
Trump’s change in tone comes as he prepares to meet Putin in Budapest, Hungary, for direct talks on ending the conflict. He suggested Zelenskyy may not be at the table, hinting at separate or sequential meetings to ease tensions. “These two leaders do not like each other, and we want to make it comfortable for everybody,” Trump said.
Despite skepticism over whether Putin is stringing him along, Trump expressed confidence in his ability to manage the Russian leader: “I’ve been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out pretty well. I think I’m pretty good at this stuff.”
The White House meeting marked the fourth face-to-face between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump’s return to office and underscored both Kyiv’s desperation for advanced weapons and Trump’s determination to personally broker an end to the war.