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President Donald Trump said Friday that "tremendous bad blood" between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin is delaying a peace deal in Ukraine despite the administration's recent victory in calming tensions in Gaza.
"They have tremendous bad blood. It's really is what is holding up I think a settlement. I think we are going to get it done," Trump said Friday.
"We need Tomahawks, and we need a lot of other things that we've been sending over the last four years to Ukraine," the president added.
Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting, which was announced earlier this week, unfolded a day after Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Zelenskyy has made clear his chief aim is to secure better defenses for Ukraine amid Russia’s constant aerial bombardments of civilian targets like cities, energy infrastructure and hospitals, and his big-ticket item is the American Tomahawk missile.
With the capability of hitting beyond even Moscow, the sophisticated high-precision long-range cruise missile could increase Ukraine’s ability to strike further into Russia and better target not only its military complex, but its oil industry, which has largely funded Putin’s war chest.
Following his call with Putin on Thursday, Trump said "great progress" was made, but he did not provide any specifics on how progress was achieved, though the pair agreed to once again meet in person, this time in Hungary.
Though Trump said the pair discussed U.S.-Russia trade, he did not say whether U.S. aid to Ukraine was discussed, which appeared to be the impetus for the call earlier this week when he told reporters he "might have to speak" with Putin regarding whether he wanted U.S. Tomahawks near his borders, in what appeared to be an implied threat.
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But neither Tomahawks nor defensive aid were mentioned in the president’s account of the talks.
Though, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the issue was discussed and opposed by Putin.
"Vladimir Putin reiterated his thesis that Tomahawks won't change the situation on the battlefield, but they will cause significant damage to relations between our countries. Not to mention the prospects for a peaceful settlement," he told reporters following the call, according to Reuters.
Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on Thursday that, "Nothing has changed for Russia – it is still terrorizing life in Ukraine."
"Therefore, every air defense system for Ukraine matters – it saves lives. Every decision that can strengthen us brings the end of the war closer," he added.
Zelenskyy's visit to the White House Friday was his third this year. In his first visit in February, Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy sparred during their meeting.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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