Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, saying the war in Ukraine is near its conclusion.
Zelensky Begins Washington Visit
Zelensky arrived in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. He opened his stay with a meeting of American defense firms, including Raytheon, producer of Patriot missiles. On Friday he spoke with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other energy company representatives. He lodged at Blair House, the official guest residence of the U.S. President, with heightened security for his visit.
White House Meeting Delays and Topics
The meeting at the White House began more than 20 minutes late, taking the form of a working lunch per media reports. Trump first spoke, outlining possible topics for a joint discussion with Zelensky. Zelensky thanked Trump for his intervention in the Middle East. Reporters then asked whether Zelensky would attend the next meeting between Trump and Putin; Trump said a joint meeting with Zelensky would likely occur, after acknowledging tensions but urging comfort.
Trump added that both Ukraine and Russia want to end the war, so the parties should simply do it.
Zelensky Says Trump Better Than Biden
During the interview, Zelensky compared the former presidents, stating that Trump has a great chance to end the war while Biden does not. He praised Trump for demonstrating the ability to secure a ceasefire in the Middle East and expressed hope that Trump would achieve similar success for Ukraine.
Trump replied that Biden was incompetent, whereas he is capable.
Discussion Over Tomahawk Missiles
Trump was asked whether the U.S. could supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. He said the U.S. needed to provide Tomahawks and other weapons to finish the war. He noted that ending the conflict is paramount, hoping they could do so without focusing solely on Tomahawks. Trump mentioned that the war is not just a technological issue but involves drones and missiles, all of which could be exchanged.
Zelensky emphasized the need for drones and mentioned that Ukraine has many drones but lacks Tomahawks, highlighting the U.S.’s production capacity. Trump expressed interest in Ukrainian drones, stating they would discuss Tomahawks only if necessary. He reiterated that he had ended eight wars and that the Ukraine war would be the ninth.
