Zelenskyy’s visit to the US: the main thing about today’s meeting with Trump
17 October 08:21
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Washington, D.C., where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump today, October 17, at 20:00 Kyiv time. He said this upon arrival in the United States, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The Ukrainian leader has already arrived in Washington and said that every step aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities brings the end of the war closer. Russia will be forced to peace not by diplomacy, but by concrete decisions of international partners.
How and when the meeting will take place
According to the White House, the talks will be held in an informal setting over lunch and will be closed to the press.
After the meeting, Donald Trump will head to Florida.
The parties are expected to discuss:
- military support for Ukraine,
- cooperation in air defense and defense,
- possible new formats of international security guarantees,
- as well as plans for a peaceful settlement that does not weaken Kyiv’s position.
What Zelenskyy said in the United States
Upon his arrival in Washington, Zelenskyy issued a statement in which he emphasized that “it is not diplomacy that can force Russia to peace, but concrete decisions of partners.”
The president also commented on Russia’s nighttime attack on Kryvyi Rih, during which drones struck civilian infrastructure:
“A wave of drones hit Kryvyi Rih – civilian infrastructure. Dozens more attack drones were in the sky. Missiles were also spotted. In fact, not a single night has gone by without Russian strikes in Ukraine these weeks. Most of the targets are infrastructure. Systemic terror against our energy sector.”
Why this visit is important
According to Zelenskyy, the Kremlin is trying to turn Ukraine into an “island of danger,” but this cannot be allowed.
The President emphasized that Russia will stop only when it loses the ability to wage war:
“Russia’s true readiness for peace is not in words, but in the real cessation of attacks and killings.”
He also thanked the allies for their assistance and emphasized:
“Every air defense system for Ukraine means saved lives. Every decision of our partners that strengthens us brings the end of the war closer.”
Trump said after talking to Putin that “the US also needs tomahawks”
After a phone conversation with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said that America will continue to need Tomahawk missiles.
“I told him that (Putin – about Tomahawk – ed.). He didn’t like the idea. Sometimes you have to be a little bit flippant, but no, he doesn’t want Tomahawk. Tomahawk is a brutal weapon,” Trump said.
The American president added that during his conversation with Putin he talked about the possibility of supplying missiles to Ukraine, but stressed that the United States cannot deplete its own stockpiles.
“We talked about it a little bit, we didn’t say much. But I’m telling you, we need Tomahawks for the United States of America as well. We have a lot of them, but we need them,” he added.
Trump emphasized that the Tomahawk is a powerful, accurate and destructive offensive weapon that is “vital to American defense.”
According to Axios, the Ukrainian side was surprised by Trump’s announcement of an agreement with Putin to hold a new meeting in Budapest.
Zelenskiy, who arrived in Washington on Thursday, reportedly showed cautious optimism ahead of his meeting with Trump. Kyiv expected the White House to approve the transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
As soon as the Ukrainian delegation arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, it was reported that Trump had spoken with Putin and agreed to meet in person in the capital of Hungary, a country that Kyiv considers one of the least friendly to Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian president and his team were surprised by Trump’s announcement that he had spoken with Vladimir Putin and agreed to meet with him in Budapest,” Axios writes.
Trump’s conciliatory tone after his conversation with Putin seemed to cast doubt on the possibility of strong support for Kyiv in the near future.
