In an interview with “Meet the Press” with Kristen Welker, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not receive a definitive no from President Donald Trump during their meeting in the United States on Kyiv’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
According to Zelensky, Russia is deploying domestically produced and Iranian-made drones, as well as its own missiles and long-range North Korean-made missiles, to strike Ukraine. He said Kyiv, in turn, is using thousands of domestically produced long-range drones.
“It’s very difficult to operate with only Ukrainian drones. We need long-range Tomahawks, and the United States has similar capabilities. We need this for mixed use,” he said, adding that “our teams are working on it.”
“President Trump didn’t say ‘no,’ but he didn’t say ‘yes’”
“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no,’ but as of today he hasn’t said ‘yes,’” Zelensky acknowledged. He said the White House told him that, at this stage, the systems are needed by the United States itself. The current stock is “insufficient to defend American interests,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
In his view, Russian President Vladimir Putin “is truly afraid that we will use them.” Zelensky added that Kyiv is well aware of military targets on Russian territory.
Earlier, after his White House meeting, Zelensky stressed at a press conference that “Ukraine wants peace, and Russia does not.”
Zelensky proposed that the United States swap Ukrainian drones for Tomahawks. /ru/tramp-nadeus-my-zakoncim-vojnu-v-ukraine-bez-tomagavkov/a-74407243 He said Kyiv is ready to supply the U.S. with thousands of Ukrainian drones in exchange for Tomahawk cruise missiles, underscoring that “modern wars require a large number of UAVs.” Donald Trump, for his part, called the Ukrainian drones “very good.” He added that the U.S. needs Tomahawks and other missiles being sent to Kyiv, but said he is willing to discuss Zelensky’s proposal.
Earlier, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that Ukraine plans to propose a drone technology partnership with the United States, including producing Ukrainian drones in the U.S. or Europe for subsequent export to meet American military needs.
Zelensky also said Trump has “a big opportunity” to end the conflict in Ukraine, one that former President Joe Biden did not have. “The Russia-Ukraine war will be the ninth conflict that I resolve. I like stopping wars; we saved millions of lives,” Trump pledged.
