Zelensky to push for Tomahawk missiles in Trump meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Donald Trump astatine the White House Friday to propulsion the US person for long-range Tomahawk missiles that tin onslaught heavy wrong Russia.

The gathering comes a time aft Trump threw Zelensky a curveball by announcing a caller acme with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump besides formed uncertainty connected whether helium would assistance Ukraine’s privation for the almighty Tomahawk cruise missiles, saying Washington could not “deplete” its ain supplies.

Ukraine has been lobbying Washington for Tomahawks for weeks, arguing that they could assistance enactment unit connected Russia to extremity its brutal three-and-a-half twelvemonth invasion.

But connected the eve of Zelensky’s visit, Putin warned Trump successful a telephone against delivering the weapons, saying it could escalate the warfare and jeopardize bid talks.

Trump and Putin agreed to a caller acme successful the Hungarian superior Budapest, which would beryllium their archetypal since an August gathering successful Alaska that failed to nutrient immoderate benignant of bid deal.

– ‘Many questions’ –

Diplomatic talks connected ending Russia’s penetration person stalled since the Alaska summit.

Ukraine had hoped Zelensky’s travel would adhd much unit connected Putin, particularly by getting Tomahawks, which person a scope of implicit 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles).

But Trump, who erstwhile said helium could extremity the warfare successful Ukraine wrong 24 hours, appears acceptable connected pursuing a caller diplomatic breakthrough to travel the Gaza ceasefire woody that helium brokered past week.

The Kremlin said Friday that “many questions” needed resolving earlier Putin and Trump could meet, including who would beryllium connected each negotiating team.

“It could so instrumentality spot wrong 2 weeks oregon a small later. There’s an knowing that thing should beryllium enactment off,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

But the Kremlin appeared to brushwood disconnected suggestions Putin would person trouble flying implicit European airspace.

Hungary said Friday it would guarantee Putin could participate and “hold palmy talks” with the US contempt an International Criminal Court (ICC) apprehension warrant against him for alleged warfare crimes.

“Budapest is the lone suitable spot successful Europe for a USA–Russia bid summit,” Hungarian President Viktor Orban said connected X connected Friday.

– Trump vexation –

Zelensky’s sojourn to Washington, Ukraine’s main subject backer, volition beryllium his 3rd since Trump returned to office.

During this time, Trump’s presumption connected the Ukraine warfare has shifted dramatically backmost and forth.

At the commencement of his term, Trump and Putin reached retired to each different arsenic the US person derided Zelensky arsenic a “dictator without elections”.

Tensions came to a caput successful February, erstwhile Trump accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “not having the cards” successful a bombshell televised gathering astatine the Oval Office.

Relations betwixt the 2 person since warmed arsenic Trump has expressed increasing vexation with Putin.

But Trump has kept a transmission of dialog unfastened with Putin, saying that they “get along.” The US person has repeatedly changed his presumption connected sanctions and different steps against Russia pursuing calls with the Russian president.

Putin ordered a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, describing it arsenic a “special subject operation” to demilitarize the state and forestall the enlargement of NATO.

Kyiv and its European allies accidental the warfare is an amerciable onshore drawback that has resulted successful tens of thousands of civilian and subject casualties and wide destruction.

Russia present occupies astir a 5th of Ukrainian territory — overmuch of it ravaged by fighting. On Friday the Russian defence ministry announced it had captured 3 villages successful Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.

The station Zelensky to propulsion for Tomahawk missiles successful Trump meeting appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.