Trump, Zelensky discuss peace push and air defenses amid Russian grid strikes

📌 Key Facts

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested Tomahawk cruise missiles in talks with President Trump (first reported Sept. 26, 2025); multiple sources, including a Ukrainian official and a person familiar with the meeting, identified the system as the Tomahawk (manufactured by RTX).
• Tomahawk missiles are long‑range (reported roughly 1,000–1,500 miles, compared with ATACMS at about 190 miles), and Ukrainian officials say possession could help pressure Russia to negotiate.
• President Trump said Oct. 6, 2025 he had “sort of made a decision” about supplying Tomahawks to NATO countries for transfer to Ukraine but emphasized he wants to know where Ukraine would use them and is “not looking to see an escalation”; Ukrainian officials said they did not know the decision and U.S. officials expressed concerns about post‑sale control of the weapons.
• Senior U.S. figures signaled openness to longer‑range options: Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is “looking at” selling Tomahawks, and U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg indicated support for Ukraine conducting long‑range strikes; the administration has also promoted a policy for European partners to pay or purchase weaponry to show “European skin in the game.”
• Russia reacted strongly: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly questioned who would launch the missiles (Americans or Ukrainians), and President Vladimir Putin warned that supplying Tomahawks would represent a “qualitatively new stage of escalation.”
• Trump and Zelensky spoke again (about 30 minutes) on Oct. 11, 2025; Zelensky called the conversation “very positive and productive,” saying they discussed Tomahawk provision, ways to bolster air defenses, and are working on “concrete agreements.”
• Zelensky publicly urged Trump to help broker peace, noting the Gaza ceasefire push and saying success in one region could be a model for ending Russia’s war.
• Operational context: Russia launched a massive overnight barrage (reported as more than 600 drones/missiles) that killed four people, wounded dozens in Kyiv and struck the power grid; more than 800,000 residents had power restored though localized outages remained—underscoring Kyiv’s urgency for stronger air defenses and long‑range strike options.
• A senior Ukrainian delegation led by presidential chief Andriy Yermak and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is expected in Washington the week after Oct. 11 to discuss security cooperation and sanctions.

📰 Sources (5)