🔗 Share this article Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Remains Reserved on Cruise Missile Negotiations with Trump After White House Meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have left a Washington summit empty-handed after failing to obtain the requested Tomahawk cruise missiles from President Donald Trump. Zelensky remarked after the cordial bilateral that he and Trump had talked about long-range missiles, but chose not to make statements on that issue "because the United States wishes to prevent an intensification." Trump's Position on Missile Supply Although the US president did not rule out providing the missiles to the Ukrainian forces, his approach during the Washington discussions was non-committal. "Hopefully they won't need it, ideally we'll be able to end the conflict without considering these weapons," President Trump remarked, noting that America required the weapons for its own security. Trump acknowledged that providing the missiles would be "a significant escalation, but we'll be talking about it." Global Diplomatic Moves The Trump-Zelensky meeting came just a day after Trump held telephone discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and arranged to meet him in Hungary in the near future. Following the meeting, Trump took to social media to urge Ukraine and Russia to "cease current positions" and conclude the conflict. Kyiv's Viewpoint and Proposals President Zelensky proposed that Ukraine could offer unmanned aerial vehicles in exchange for the missile systems, a proposal that elicited smiles and nodding from the American president. Zelensky also complimented his counterpart on his role in securing a peace deal in the Middle East, suggesting that the US leader could capitalize on that success to help resolve the conflict in his country. Upcoming Talks and Concerns Questioned about whether the possibility of Ukrainian forces having Tomahawks had influenced Putin to meet Trump, Zelensky answered, "It's unclear," noting that the prospect had made Moscow to be "concerned because it is a strong weapon." When questioned if he was departing the US capital more optimistic that Ukraine would get the missiles, he stated, "My approach is realistic." The Ukrainian leader believes that using these missiles to target Moscow's energy infrastructure would significantly damage Putin's war economy. Personal Impact of the Conflict "Justice and freedom will prevail, and all the violence and aggression will vanish," said one local businessman. "We simply wish to exist peacefully, we don't want to give up, we just want them to leave us alone." The emotional reaction emerged as citizens in the Ukrainian capital persist in rebuild their lives and businesses damaged by ongoing military strikes. Ongoing Diplomatic Efforts In recent days, Trump had shown an willingness to the concept of providing the Tomahawks, even as Putin warned that such a move would additional pressure the bilateral relations. Trump had anticipated that a personal meeting in Alaska in August would help convince Putin to begin substantial negotiations to resolve the conflict, but that meeting failed to produce a decisive breakthrough. Both presidents currently preparing for further negotiations as the conflict in Ukraine persists to develop.