What The Outcome Of Trump’s Meeting With Zelensky Means For Putin

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The summit marked Zelenskyy’s third visit to the White House since Trump took office in January.

During the meeting, the Ukrainian president stated that he believed that Trump could help bring Russia’s invasion to an end. Zelenskyy also made his case for the need for advanced U.S. weaponry, such as Tomahawk cruise missiles, which the Ukrainians would use to defend themselves against Russian aggression. The Ukrainian president even proposed a potential swap of Ukrainian drones for Tomahawks.

Zelenskyy has previously stated that long-range missiles would give Ukrainians the necessary capabilities to strike Russian military targets deep within Russian territory. The Ukrainian president also argued that such capabilities would put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they would allow the Ukrainians to destroy capabilities that enable the Russians to continue their war in Ukraine, such as ammunition depots and energy facilities.

Trump initially stated that he would be interested in an exchange between Ukrainian drones and American Tomahawks. But when pressed further on the issue, the U.S. president said that the U.S. already had its own fleet of drones. Trump then issued a warning about the dangers of Tomahawks. He also stated that he would prefer to have peace between Russia and Ukraine, rather than supplying the cruise missiles to Ukraine.

“Tomahawks are very dangerous weapons,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’d much rather have Ukraine not need Tomahawks.” Trump also added that providing Tomahawks to Ukraine would have been seen as an “escalation” in the war.

The U.S. president then went on to state that enough blood had been shed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the meeting, Trump reiterated the need for peace, and he hoped that the war would end soon. Trump concluded the session by discussing his upcoming meeting with Putin, stating that they would soon be meeting in Budapest. The exact time and date of their summit in Hungary, however, has not been finalized.

Following the summit at the White House, Zelenskyy told reporters that he believed that he and Trump were “beginning to understand each other.” He added that the U.S. president was also beginning to understand “more details of the war.” But these developments have not resulted in the Ukrainians receiving Tomahawk cruise missiles. Instead, the Ukrainians will need to see how Trump’s meeting with Putin unfolds before the U.S. decides whether to send new aid to Ukraine.

Trump’s Attempts In 2025 To End Russia’s War In Ukraine

While Trump did not affirmatively state that he would not provide Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, the Ukrainians were disappointed that they did not obtain new defense weapons and capabilities after the White House visit on Friday. Instead, the Ukrainians will be left to defend themselves against Russia’s ongoing invasion with their current capabilities.

For nearly four years, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Ukrainian volunteer battalions have fought against the ongoing Russian invasion. Thousands of Ukrainians have died during the war, and numerous cities, villages, and towns have been destroyed. Meanwhile, the Russians have sustained over one million casualties, and lost tens of billions of dollars in defense equipment.

Realizing this devastation and destruction, Trump has attempted to broker an end to the war. His attempts, however, have not resulted in a lasting peace. Since February, the U.S. president and members of his administration have regularly met with their Ukrainian and Russian counterparts to discuss strategies on how to end the war. For example, the United States attempted to implement a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on the energy infrastructure in both countries. Reuters and the Kyiv Independent, however, found that the Russian Federation violated the proposed ceasefire at least 30 times.

Trump then issued several two-week ultimatums to Putin, calling for an end to the war. In addition, the U.S. president threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia’s energy exports. He also stated that the U.S. would penalize countries that purchase Russian oil and gas. Finally, Trump implemented a new defense aid program for Ukraine, where the United States would sell Western weapons to NATO members in Europe so that the aid could be transported to Ukraine. Despite these developments, the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

Putin Undeterred By U.S. Ultimatums As Peace Talks Stall

To date, current U.S. attempts to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine have not deterred Putin. Instead, Russia has continued to launch drone and missile strikes across Ukraine. As the Russian attacks have persisted, ABC News reported that these Russian bombardments are the worst attacks on Ukraine since the war began. This suggests that Russia is escalating its war.

Why is this the case? According to a report published by The New York Times, Putin is “convinced that Russia’s battlefield superiority is growing.” Additionally, the Russian president believes that “Ukraine’s defense may collapse in the coming months.” Finally, Putin has stated on several occasions that he will not end his conquest “without extensive concessions [made] by Ukraine.” Given these beliefs, it is unlikely that the Russian president would willingly agree to a ceasefire or peace talks as he believes he has an edge over Zelenskyy and Ukraine. As a result, Putin is content to continue the Russian invasion of Ukraine as he believes the Russian Federation is capable of winning the war.

Furthermore, Putin has not felt threatened by statements made by Trump. Over the past eight months, the U.S. president has issued ultimatums to Russia, such as imposing sanctions on the Russian energy sector, to try to force the Russians to a peace agreement with Ukraine. But the United States has not followed through with these threats. The United States has not imposed new sanctions on Russia’s energy exports this year. Additionally, Trump paused various weapon shipments to Ukraine in March and July. Finally, the United States has opted not to provide new forms of defense assistance to Ukraine, which would allow the Ukrainians to defend themselves as well as strike Russian military targets.

By withholding defense aid and new capabilities from Ukraine, Putin understands that the Ukrainians will not have the necessary equipment to defend themselves against Russia’s ongoing military incursion. As a result, Russia has no incentive to stop its war as it does not feel pressured to do so, and by extension, uphold any ceasefire agreement or peace talks. Thus, the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

With this in mind, international observers of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be curious to see what will unfold from the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest. After the U.S. president’s meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, it is unclear if anything will change.