Trump to meet Zelensky at White House Friday to discuss possible Tomahawk, Patriot transfers

📌 Key Facts

• A White House meeting is scheduled Friday between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss providing Tomahawk long‑range cruise missiles and additional Patriot air‑defense systems; Zelensky is slated to arrive Thursday and a senior Ukrainian delegation (led by Andriy Yermak and PM Yulia Svyrydenko) has been preparing the visit.
• Zelensky formally requested Tomahawk missiles in prior talks and calls with Trump, described their conversations as “very productive,” said Ukraine would use such weapons for military goals only, and has said he is “waiting for [the] president to yes.”
• Trump has signaled increased openness to supplying Tomahawks—saying he has “sort of made a decision,” that he may send them if the war isn’t settled, that he wants to know where Ukraine would use them, that he may speak directly with Vladimir Putin about the issue, and that Tomahawks are an “incredible,” “very offensive” and “a new step of aggression.” He has also floated routing weapons through NATO partners.
• U.S. officials show mixed signals: Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is “looking at” the request; Special Envoy Keith Kellogg has signaled support for Ukraine conducting long‑range strikes; administration officials have raised concerns about post‑sale control of missiles; and the administration has emphasized Europeans purchasing weapons to show “skin in the game.”
• Russia and allied officials have issued strong warnings: the Kremlin called Tomahawk deliveries a matter of “extreme concern,” Vladimir Putin warned it would be a “qualitatively new stage of escalation,” Dmitry Medvedev warned it “could end badly” and argued conventional and nuclear Tomahawks are indistinguishable in flight, and Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko publicly doubted the U.S. would send them.
• Reporting highlights an urgent security context: Russia has mounted massive barrages and strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and cities (thousands of drones, missiles and glide bombs reported over recent days), causing deaths, injuries and widespread blackouts—an urgency cited by Kyiv in seeking long‑range strike and air‑defense capabilities.
• Key uncertainties remain: Ukrainian officials say they do not yet know Trump’s final decision; U.S. policymakers are weighing conditional approval tied to where and how the weapons would be used and what post‑sale controls or allied burden‑sharing would apply.

📰 Sources (13)