Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy commented on the meeting with former President Donald Trump during his recent visit to the United States. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
He spoke about this in an interview with NBC News. According to Zelenskiy, the negotiations mainly focused on enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities and the delivery of long-range weapons, specifically Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian leader openly stated that he requested these missiles from the US, but no definite decision has been made yet. According to him, former President Trump did not say “no,” but also did not confirm “yes.”
This indicates that the negotiations are ongoing. Zelenskiy emphasized that Tomahawk missiles would significantly strengthen the country's defense and help reduce threats coming from Russia.
At the same time, he noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin is seriously concerned about the delivery of these weapons. According to the Ukrainian president, Putin fears the US supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine because Ukraine knows the locations of Russia's military facilities well.
Therefore, Russia is worried about these weapons falling into Ukraine's hands. According to reports, the US and Ukrainian presidents held a closed-door meeting at the White House on October 17.
During the meeting, issues of security, diplomacy, and arms delivery were discussed. Zelenskiy told journalists that the details of the agreement with Trump would not be widely disclosed, explaining this by Washington’s reluctance to escalate tensions.
At the same time, former President Trump called on Moscow and Kyiv to start peace talks on his social media pages after the meeting. In his view, stopping military actions and reaching an agreement through diplomatic means is the right decision under current circumstances.
According to sources from Axios and CNN, during the closed-door talks at the White House, Trump approached Zelenskiy’s request for Tomahawk missiles cautiously. He has so far refused to deliver these missiles and emphasized that his main goal is to prioritize diplomacy to restore peace.
Zelenskiy, in turn, stated that he will use all available means to defend Ukraine’s independence. He expressed hope for military cooperation with the US and noted that Trump’s not saying “no” means the negotiations are still ongoing.
The Ukrainian public supports the president’s visit and expects a new phase in relations with Washington. Experts believe that Trump’s cautious stance is related to the US’s overall strategic interests in the region.
