Trump, Zelensky, and Missed Missiles — What the Media Say About the White House Meeting

The foreign press is actively discussing the meeting between the U.S. President and Zelensky at the White House. Special attention is paid to the American leader’s stance on the supply of Tomahawk missiles.

According to Ukrainian media, after the talks, Zelensky immediately started a phone call with European leaders. It is not specified who exactly joined the call. However, it is known that the British Prime Minister proposed creating a peace treaty project for Ukraine, similar to the American plan for resolving the Gaza sector.

Zelensky’s Visit to the White House

Washington trip: Trump, Zelensky, and the missed missiles. The third visit to the White House this year was tense. According to Axios, the meeting was difficult, and the American leader was stern. Zelensky was not greeted at the plane’s ramp by any high-ranking American politician or official. He was brought to the U.S. president’s residence with a delay from the initially scheduled time. Afterwards, he was asked to wait in the White House. Trump spent that time in the Oval Office with Italian singer Bocelli. The meeting was accompanied by the famous song “Con Te Partiro.”

The dialogue was scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM but started later. Most of the negotiations took place behind closed doors, away from TV cameras. Zelensky arrived to persuade Trump to support Ukraine. However, experts had already noted the day before that the American leader was unlikely to escalate tensions with Moscow.

Vladimir Oleynik, member of the public movement "Another Ukraine," former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine:

"And what has he not sold yet? Land, minerals. What else can he offer Trump? I don’t think Trump is interested in anything that would change his view on escalation with Russia. The main thing he said was: there will be no nuclear war."

During the conversation, the U.S. president repeatedly noted that, in his opinion, both sides are inclined to resolve the conflict diplomatically. Trump also clearly indicated that providing Tomahawk missiles could undermine this process. The current U.S. proposal for a diplomatic solution involves freezing the front lines.

Donald Trump, U.S. President:

“We had a very good meeting, in my opinion. They must stop the war immediately along the front line, wherever it is, or it will become too complicated, and no solutions will be found. You stop at the front line, both sides go home to their families, stop the killings, and that’s the end. Stop right now at the front line. I told Zelensky, I told President Putin.”

One of the main topics of the meeting was also the upcoming Russia-U.S. summit, which is scheduled to take place in Budapest in the coming weeks. This was announced earlier following a phone call between the presidents of Russia and the U.S. on the evening of October 16. The White House now emphasized that the meeting is planned to be bilateral. According to Trump, Zelensky will be “in touch” at that time. Hungary has already set up a committee to prepare visits for the two leaders, Orban reported. This issue was also discussed in a phone call between Russian and Hungarian foreign ministers.

Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Foreign Minister and Trade:

“Three and a half years ago, it became clear that this war would not be resolved on the battlefield. It became clear that the war would only end if an agreement is reached at the negotiating table. That’s why we consider any reports of the U.S. and Russia leaders holding negotiations to be fantastic. Historical experience shows that there’s always a chance for peace if the great powers of the world can support civil cooperation with each other.”

The U.S. left Zelensky without Tomahawk, but with compliments about his suit.

Donald Trump, U.S. President:

“He looks great in that suit. Yes, he’s handsome. I hope people notice that he’s really good and very stylish.”

Immediately after the meeting, Trump flew from the White House to Florida, refusing to answer journalists’ questions. But sometimes silence is also a position.