Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has characterized his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as “positive,” despite failing to secure the delivery of Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine. The meeting, which took place last week, was reportedly tense, with Trump reportedly reneging on the possibility of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy suggested that Trump is avoiding escalation with Russia until their next meeting. Ukraine is seeking to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems from American firms, using frozen Russian assets and international assistance, though Zelenskyy acknowledged that procurement will take time due to production delays. He also discussed expediting the process with Trump, potentially leveraging European partners. Zelenskyy noted that Trump reiterated Putin’s unchanged demand for Ukraine to cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Despite this, Zelenskyy described Trump’s overall message as positive, emphasizing the U.S. president’s desire to end the war. Trump’s upcoming meeting with Putin in Hungary, a country unsupportive of Ukraine, is seen as a potential step toward peace, though Zelenskyy expressed reservations about Budapest as a venue. He also criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for obstructing Ukraine’s interests. Zelenskyy remained skeptical of Putin’s territorial swap proposal but acknowledged that all parties have moved closer to a possible resolution. Additionally, he highlighted U.S. interest in bilateral energy projects with Ukraine, including an LNG terminal in Odesa and initiatives in nuclear energy and oil.
Zelenskyy says his meeting with Trump was ‘positive’ though he didn’t get the Tomahawk missiles
