Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday to discuss long-range Tomahawk missiles and air defence support [Image by Telegrafi]
Zelensky announced the trip in Kyiv, stating that he had already made his proposal to Trump. “I will be going to Washington and sit down with President Trump on Friday,” he explained. “The most important issue of the visit is air defence and our long-range weapons for putting pressure on Russia in the interests of peace.”
The U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, with a 2,500 km range, have been sought by the Ukrainian president to strike targets. He asserts that Ukraine would use them solely against military targets to avoid Russian attacks on cities and energy infrastructure.
Trump said he was having a meeting when asked by reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think so, yeah,” he said, leaving open the possibility of sending Tomahawks to Kyiv. “We’ll see… I may,” Trump said, calling the move “a new step of aggression” in Ukraine’s struggle with Russia.
Kremlin Reacts Sharply
The Kremlin warned that the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine would cross a “red line.” Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov characterized the notion as “extremely concerning,” and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that it “might go wrong for everyone, but particularly for Trump himself.”
The capital fears that Tomahawks will penetrate deep into Russia, including Moscow, and that it could not establish if they were fitted with nuclear warheads.
Strengthening Ukraine’s Defences
Ukraine is intending to use the Washington negotiations to obtain extra air defence systems and energy protection assistance before winter. Russian drones and missiles have continued to bombard Ukraine’s power grid, causing widespread blackouts.
Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said last week the U.S. president had authorized “deep strikes” on Russian targets, telling Fox News: “There are no such things as sanctuaries.”.
Friday’s visit will be Zelensky’s third visit to Washington and coincides with heightened diplomatic pressure for ending the war and signing a durable peace deal.
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