(upd 21) The possibility of a tripartite meeting in Hungary between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was at the center of discussions between the presidents of the US and Ukraine on Friday (17/10/2025) at the White House.
The American president in his statements did not clarify the format of such a summit, but implied that it could take the form of separate talks.
On the meeting's agenda was, as expected, the issue of military reinforcement of Ukraine, with the sending of Tomahawk missiles however being put on ice.
Speaking to reporters, the Ukrainian president said that he agreed with Trump to speak publicly about the Tomahawks.
According to Time, however, Trump refused outright to strengthen Ukraine with long-range weapons and was particularly wary of the prospect of strikes deep into Russian territory.
The American president stressed to Zelensky that a Tomahawk shipment would lead to a very dangerous escalation.
From the meeting at the White House it became clear that the American side is deferring all decisions to the period after the Budapest meeting.
After the meeting, Kyiv expressed concern that the upcoming talks between Trump and Putin could have an impact on US decisions regarding the volume of military aid to Ukraine.
According to the western press, the Ukrainian delegation left the White House deeply disappointed while Zelensky informed European leaders about the results of the meeting.
Trump: I believe Putin wants to end the war — I ask for a double meeting in Budapest — we will be in contact with Zelensky
In his address at a luncheon hosted for the Ukrainian delegation, Trump described Zelensky as "a strong leader who has been through a lot" while appearing optimistic about resolving the Ukrainian issue after his communication with Putin on 16/10.
"Things are going quite well," the American president observed, adding characteristically that "Putin - Zelensky have to find a little [common ground]."
He added that he chose Hungary for the meeting with Putin because he likes the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.
This was Trump's third meeting with Zelensky at the White House and the fifth in total since his return to the U.S. presidency in January 2025.
The US president said that the upcoming summit with Putin in Budapest may be double, explaining that contact with Zelensky may also take place.
Answering reporters' questions at the start of the meeting, he said that the format of the Budapest meeting "should be determined."
"I would say that it is likely to be a double meeting," he added, noting that "the Ukrainian president will be in contact," without clarifying who would communicate with whom.
Responding to a question about what he would do if Putin does not agree to a peaceful solution at the meeting in Hungary, Trump said: "Let's see what happens. You know something?
I believe that president Putin wants to end the war, otherwise I would not be speaking like this.
I spoke with him yesterday for two and a half hours.
We examined many detailed issues.
He wants to end the war."
Still, he did not rule out the possibility that Putin might try to buy time but, as he said, he knows very well how to handle such situations.
Reporter: Are you not concerned that Putin is trying to buy himself more time?
— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 17, 2025
Trump: I am, I have been played all my life by the best of them. I came out really well. It is possible, little time, it is alright. pic.twitter.com/mJn4DTzi2h
Trump: The US needs Tomahawk missiles and other weapons it sends to Ukraine
The US president referred to America's need for Tomahawk missiles and for many of the weapons being sent to Ukraine, confirming that their shipment to Kyiv is on ice at least until the Budapest summit.
Notably, when journalists asked about these missiles, Trump answered as follows: "I did indeed ask Putin, would it bother you if I gave a few thousand Tomahawks to Ukraine?
He did not like the idea."
Trump emphasized that this need is one of the main reasons Washington wants the conflict to end.
"We need Tomahawks and many of the things we send," said the American president, adding that he hopes the conflict will be resolved without the need to send these weapons to Ukraine.
"The US is interested in buying Ukrainian drones"
The US is ready to consider the possibility of acquiring drones from Ukraine, the American president said.
"Yes, we would do that," he said in response to a question about whether American authorities are interested in buying unmanned aerial vehicles from Ukraine.
Trump did not answer a question about territory — he wants the war to end before 26/10.
Trump left unanswered the question regarding prospects for the return of the territories Ukraine lost during the conflict with Russia.
"Who knows, war is very interesting. You never know what will happen," he said characteristically.
Additionally, he pointed out that the US is no longer spending money for Ukraine, as all expenses are being covered by the countries of Europe.
Asked about the possibility of discussing the situation in Ukraine with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, he expressed the hope that the conflict will have been resolved before that meeting, which is to take place in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28.
Furthermore, Trump again expressed his disappointment with Spain, saying that the country has not met its obligations to NATO, as it refuses to increase its defense spending to 5%.
"Spain did not respond.
It is not faithful to NATO," Trump said, adding that it is the only country that disagrees with that increase.
"I think Spain should be criticized for that," he added, while stressing that the decision belongs to NATO and Madrid.
The US president reiterated that he constantly pressures NATO members to increase their defense spending and expressed doubts about Washington's willingness to help member states that do not honor the agreements.
Zelensky: Ukraine calls for a ceasefire, let's put pressure on Putin
Zelensky on his part emphasized that the priority for Ukraine is to start talks and achieve a ceasefire,
especially since, as he noted, in every war, even the most recent in the Middle East, it is extremely difficult to maintain a cessation of hostilities.
"First of all, I believe we must sit down and talk.
Second, we need a ceasefire," he said characteristically, adding that Ukraine desires peace, while Russia, under Vladimir Putin, does not desire such a thing.
He reiterated that pressure on Putin is necessary to bring him to the negotiating table.
Zelensky said that he would discuss with Trump exactly what Ukraine needs to push Russia to start a dialogue.
Additionally, he proposed Ukrainian drones to the US in exchange for Tomahawk missiles.
Tomahawks definitively on ice
The issue of sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine has been definitively put on ice, following Putin's stern warning in his communication with Trump.
The disappointment over the Ukrainian shipment in Washington is intensified by the fact that Kyiv prepared a presentation for Trump regarding the possible use of the Tomahawks, aiming to influence the course of military operations in Ukraine.
Zelensky showed Trump possible Tomahawk targets on Russian territory — the map of shame.
A Ukrainian delegation led by Zelensky handed over several maps of Russia to Trump, according to a source who spoke to RBC-Ukraine.
The maps identify alleged "vulnerable points" in the Russian defense industry and in the country's military economy.
According to the same source, Trump could "put pressure" on these points in order to force Russia to end the conflict.
Zelensky had previously identified targets for potential strikes, in the event that Kyiv receives Tomahawk missiles from the US.
He stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would supposedly strike only... military targets.
According to the Financial Times, Trump was unlikely to agree to the sale of Tomahawk missiles and to their subsequent transfer from NATO to Ukraine.
The decision on this matter will be postponed until the meeting with Putin in Budapest.
On 16/10 Trump said pointedly that he had managed to avoid turning the Ukrainian conflict into World War III.
FT: Panic and anxiety in Ukraine after Trump’s meeting with Zelensky — intense disappointment with the US
The meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and the US, Donald Trump, at the White House caused "great anxiety" in Kyiv, according to a report by the British newspaper the Financial Times.
According to a senior Ukrainian official, Trump's recent remarks were "promising" for Ukraine, however the American leader's conversation with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, "disturbed" the mood of the Ukrainian delegation.
After that conversation, Kyiv lost confidence in the success of the negotiations, the report says.
Earlier, Trump had stated that the war in Ukraine could be resolved before his meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping at the ASEAN summit on October 26–28, possibly setting a timetable for resolving the conflict.
This situation appears to have caused intense concern in Kyiv, which had placed hopes on US support for resolving the crisis.
Strong Russian reaction
The head of the foreign intelligence service Sergey Naryshkin said that the delivery of the Tomahawks would create serious risks for global stability, speaking of moves that could worsen the international situation.
Along the same lines, Russian military analyst Yuri Knutov expressed concern about the possibility of transferring the missiles to Ukraine via Poland, possibly under the pretext of humanitarian aid.
Knutov says that Kyiv's strategy focuses on overcoming the problem of hiding large launchers, without, however, particular difficulties in the delivery of the missiles.
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