Zelenskyy meets Trump at the White House

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss military support for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

The day began with a bilateral working lunch in the White House Cabinet Room. Zelenskyy discussed Tomahawk cruise missiles and other U.S. defence systems to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities. He also proposed a swap of Ukrainian drones for Tomahawks, noting Ukraine has “thousands” of drones but lacks long-range missiles. Trump said the U.S. would consider such an exchange, adding, “We build our own drones, but we also buy drones from others, and they make very good drones.” Zelenskyy told Trump he is “confident with your help we can stop the war” and highlighted meetings with American energy companies ready to assist in rebuilding Ukraine’s power infrastructure. His delegation also spoke with U.S. defence contractors about strengthening air defence amid escalating Russian drone and missile strikes.

Zelenskyy publicly called for a ceasefire, saying Ukraine “needs a ceasefire,” and appealed directly to Trump, saying he “has a chance to finish this war.”

Diplomatic engagement with Moscow
Trump confirmed Hungary will host his next meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, explaining he “chose Hungary for the Putin meeting because we like Orban.” He said he believes Putin “wants to make a deal,” but acknowledged the possibility the Russian leader could be stalling: “I’ve been played all my life by the best of them… But I think he wants to make a deal.” On Tomahawks, Trump described them as “very dangerous weapons… one of the most accurate” and stressed the U.S. must retain enough for its own defence. When asked about possible land swaps to end the war, he said, “You never know… War is very interesting. You never know.”

Security and other remarks
During the meeting, Trump referenced a recent strike on a “drug-carrying submarine” and joked about a hypothetical “tunnel from Russia to Alaska,” saying he would “have to think about that.” U.S. Senator Marco Rubio described the regional security situation as an “ongoing narco-terrorist operation.”

The meeting and lunch mark the latest high-level engagement as Ukraine continues pressing for U.S. support while Trump signals willingness to negotiate with both Kyiv and Moscow.

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