US avoids escalation as Zelenskyy skips Tomahawk talks
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump held talks on long-range weapons during their recent meeting. However, both sides agreed not to disclose details publicly, according to Zelenskyy’s statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that long-range weapons were part of his discussion with US President Donald Trump but said both sides agreed not to comment publicly.
"Washington doesn’t want escalation, so we decided to refrain from detailed answers," Zelenskyy said, adding that the topic of Tomahawk missiles was raised during the talks.
He emphasized that Kyiv still views them as necessary and intends to continue discussions: "Trump understands that we need Tomahawks too. This issue remains on the table."
When asked outside the White House whether he was optimistic about securing the missiles, Zelenskyy replied that he was "a realist." He also noted progress in talks on air defense, calling the outcome "a positive signal."
White House meeting
The October 17 meeting between the two leaders at the White House lasted about two and a half hours, longer than scheduled. Before the closed-door talks, Zelenskyy offered "thousands of drones" in exchange for Tomahawks, while Trump told reporters that the US has plenty of the missiles but currently needs them for its own defense.
