President Donald Trump greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, and Zelenskyy was in Washington to make his case for acquiring U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles and other military assets.
Trump and Zelenskyy, dressed in a dark suit, shook hands as the Ukrainian president arrived at the entrance to the West Wing. The two men are having lunch in the Cabinet Room.
“We want to see if we can get it done,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy said he believes there is “momentum to end” Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is now approaching the four-year mark. He said he was “confident” the war could be stopped with President Trump’s help.
“We want peace. Putin doesn’t want it. That’s why we need to put pressure on him,” Zelenskyy said.
President Donald Trump welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrives for a meeting at the White House in Washington, October 17, 2025.
Tom Brenner/AFP via Getty Images
Trump seemed optimistic days ago about the possibility of selling long-range weapons to Ukraine, while expressing disappointment over Moscow’s attack as the war drags on three and a half years later.
But after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Trump appeared more cautious and began to express concern about depleting U.S. supplies.
“That’s a problem. We need tomahawks and we need a lot of of other things that we have been sending for the last four years to Ukraine,” Trump said as he and Zelenskyy took questions from reporters on Friday.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, October 17, 2025.
Tom Brenner/AFP via Getty Images
Trump acknowledged that selling weapons to kyiv would be an “escalation” but said he and Zelenskyy would discuss it.
The president would also share with Zelenskyy what he and Putin discussed on Thursday. After their two-hour conversation, Trump said he and Putin plan to meet again soon, this time in Hungary, to discuss the war.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
