WASHINGTON, Oct 18: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left Washington without securing the long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles he sought, after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled he was not ready to provide them. Following a cordial White House meeting, Zelensky said both sides discussed the weapons but chose not to issue public statements because “the United States does not want an escalation,” according to the BBC.
Soon after, Trump posted on social media urging Kyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end the war. The meeting came a day after Trump’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which both leaders agreed to meet in Hungary soon, the BBC reported.
Zelensky had argued that using Tomahawks to hit Russian energy infrastructure could weaken Putin’s war economy, but Trump struck a cautious tone. “Hopefully we’ll get the war over without thinking about Tomahawks,” he said, adding the U.S. needed the weapons for its own defense. He called sending them an “escalation,” while noting the issue remained under discussion, the BBC said.
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When asked whether the missile issue had prompted Putin’s upcoming meeting, Trump told the BBC that “the threat of that [missiles] is good,” but suggested deterrence alone might suffice. Zelensky reportedly offered to trade Ukrainian drones for Tomahawks, which drew a smile from Trump during the talks, the BBC noted.
Zelensky also praised Trump’s role in advancing peace efforts in the Middle East and urged him to use that momentum to help bring an end to Russia’s invasion. Speaking to reporters later, Zelensky said Russia feared the potential of Ukraine having Tomahawks, calling them a “strong weapon.” Asked if he was optimistic, he replied, “I am realistic,” according to the BBC.
After the meeting, Zelensky wrote on X that he had briefed European leaders about his talks with Trump, saying the priority was “to protect lives, guarantee security for Ukraine, and strengthen all of Europe.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described their follow-up call as “productive,” pledging continued UK humanitarian and military assistance, the BBC said.
Although Trump recently appeared open to selling the missiles, Putin warned that doing so would further strain U.S.-Russia ties. The BBC reported that Trump described his latest phone call with Putin as “very productive” and confirmed a plan for their teams to meet next week ahead of the summit in Hungary.
In Kyiv, the BBC spoke to residents rebuilding after Russian strikes. A store owner named Volodymyr said he appreciated the global support but grew emotional as he recalled the devastation. After a pause, he said, “Truth and democracy will win. We just want to live. We don’t want to give up. We just want them to leave us alone.”
