Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will meet this week in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump.
He made the announcement on Monday, October 13, in Kyiv at a joint news conference with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
A Ukrainian delegation that includes Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak and National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov has already departed for Washington.
Zelensky’s own visit is expected on October 17. He said one topic with Trump will be the supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine. Axios, citing two sources, confirmed the agenda: “They [Trump and Zelensky] will discuss what weapons should be supplied to Ukraine, and especially whether the U.S. intends to provide Tomahawk missiles.”
The two leaders spoke by phone on October 11 and 12. Zelensky described both conversations as “very productive.” Axios reported that potential Tomahawk deliveries were raised during the October 11 call.
“We see and hear that Russia is afraid that the Americans may give us Tomahawks.”
“This is a signal that exactly this kind of pressure can contribute to peace,” Zelensky said after Sunday’s call.
According to media reports, Zelensky requested Tomahawk deliveries—with a range of 1,250 to 2,500 kilometers—during a closed-door meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in late September. He has said Ukraine would use the missiles only against military targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that a Trump decision to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine would lead to a “destruction of relations” between Moscow and Washington, “at least of the positive trend that had begun to emerge.”
“I’m saying what I think. But how things will unfold depends not only on us and not only on me,” Putin added.
