Trump to meet Zelensky as Ukraine hopes for peace breakthrough after Gaza ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he would meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, where the two would discuss Ukraine’s air defence and long-range strike capabilities.

The two leaders spoke on both Saturday and Sunday amid intensifying discussions about the potential provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, and a Ukrainian delegation led by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is scheduled to visit Washington before the Friday meeting.

Kyiv has been lobbying Washington to supply the US-produced missiles, which have the capacity to hit Moscow, but which Ukrainians say would be used only on military targets. Moscow has said such a move would represent a serious escalation.

Zelensky said he had given Trump, who has increasingly signalled frustration with Russia in recent weeks, an idea of how many of the coveted Tomahawks Ukraine needs.

“Frankly, I’ve already shared our vision with Trump … but some of these things are not for a phone conversation, so we’ll meet,” he told reporters in Kyiv.

Trump has said he is considering sending the missiles to Ukraine, though he has also said he might talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about it.