Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky will sit down this evening for another major White House meeting after the US President spoke with Vladimir Putin[1].
Mr Trump is seeking to use momentum built from the recent Israel-Hamas deal to broker peace in Ukraine[2], with the conflict – which he promised to solve “on day one” while campaigning – continuing to roll on without an end in sight.
The meeting between himself and the Ukrainian premier, set to take place at 1pm local time (6pm BST), will likely focus on the latter’s hopes to use US-made Tomahawk missiles in the conflict, with Mr Trump[3] yet to confirm whether his administration will send them to the frontlines after Putin warned the weapons are a “red line” for Russia.
Providing Tomahawks could cause ‘nuclear war’ Putin allies argue
Putin and his allies have been widely opposed to the bid to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, having spoken out against the prospect multiple times.
The missiles would allow Ukraine to strike within Russian territory more effectively, so the objections make sense, with Belarusian dictator and longtime Putin ally Alyaksandr Lukashenka among those fiercely opposing the potential move. He warned this weeks that Tomahawks could lead to “a nuclear war”.
Speaking to colleagues in Minsk, he said: “Tomahawks will not solve the problem. They will escalate the situation to a nuclear war.”
US visit to revolve around one thing: Tomahawks
Today’s visit to the Oval Office is primarily focused on one thing: Tomahawk missiles.
The missiles are some of the most advanced in the world, being extremely accurate and able to travel at subsonic speeds. There are several types of the ammunition and they can carry different warheads, including nuclear if necessary, after being advanced from various types of platform.
Their flexibility would make them a critical aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, and Mr Zelensky plans to use them tactically to target Russian energy facilities, further damaging the country’s already flailing economy and its ability to carry out attacks over the border.
US NAVY/AFP via Getty Images)
White House trip to be Zelensky’s third this year
The White House trip will be Volodymyr Zelensky’s third in the space of a year, with previous visits having taken place in February and again in the summer.
The first visit of the year famously ended in disaster when Mr Trump and his Vice President, JD Vance, blew up at the Ukrainian leader in a belligerent exchange that saw the VP ask whether he had “said thank you” to the US for its assistance.
Getty Images)
Meeting follows Trump-Putin phonecall that dimmed Tomahawk hopes
Today’s meeting comes less than a day after Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin in a conversation that appeared to dim hopes that Ukraine might receive Tomahawk missiles.
Despite having previously signalled that the US was leaning towards sending the middiles, in the Oval Office on Thursday, Mr Trump seemed to suggest his administration would keep hold of its supplies of the artillery. He told reporters: “We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too. We have a lot of them but we need them. I mean, we can’t deplete for our country.”