Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his reportedly tense meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last week was “positive,” even though he did not secure Tomahawk missiles for the fight against Russia.
In comments to journalists on Sunday (October 20, 2025) and embargoed until Monday (October 21) morning, Mr. Zelenskyy asserted that Mr. Trump reneged on the possibility of sending the long-range missiles to Ukraine after speaking by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin hours before Friday's meeting.
Mr. Trump on Friday called on Kyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end the war.
“In my opinion, he does not want an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
According to Mr. Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump said during their meeting that Mr. Putin's maximalist demand — that Ukraine cede the entirety of its eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — was unchanged.
