U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may hold a bilateral meeting in Washington as early as the end of this week. Several sources familiar with the preparations reported such plans, noting that the talks could take place on October 17.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Main Topics of Possible Negotiations
Information about the potential meeting comes amid active contacts between the leaders of both countries. It was revealed that Zelensky and Trump spoke by phone twice over the weekend, during which they discussed the supply of Tomahawk missiles and pathways to achieve peace. Additionally, the Ukrainian delegation has already begun a week of consultations in Washington with American partners.
Axios correspondent Barak Ravid also confirmed on social media platform X that the meeting of the heads of state could indeed take place on Friday, October 17. However, officials from both sides have yet to confirm this information.
Discussion of Military Aid and Kremlin’s Reaction
During previous negotiations, particularly at the meeting in September, Zelensky and Trump discussed strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including the possibility of supplying not only Tomahawk missiles but also HIMARS systems, ATACMS, and relevant munitions.
Last week, Donald Trump commented on a potential decision regarding the supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine:
“I think I want to find out what they will do with them. Where will they send them? I guess I would have to ask that question,” the U.S. president told reporters in the Oval Office.
At the same time, it remains unclear from Trump’s statement whether this decision is favorable for Kyiv.
The Russian Federation traditionally seeks to discredit the possibility of increased support for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the supply of American Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, in his opinion, would lead to “a completely new level of escalation” in relations between Moscow and Washington. He also attempted to downplay the significance of these missiles, calling them “not quite modern” and expressed the belief that this “will not change the balance of power on the battlefield.”
It is expected that in the coming days, the situation regarding the meeting of the leaders of Ukraine and the U.S. may become clearer, and more information will emerge about the outcomes of negotiations on defense cooperation.