Zelensky Hopes for Tomahawk Missiles as US Talks Continue

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during his trip to the United States expressed hope for the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles, but a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding their supply has not yet been concluded. In an exclusive NBC News interview with host Kristen Welker for the Meet the Press program, which will air on Sunday, he stressed the importance of continuing the dialogue.

“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no’, but as of today he hasn’t said ‘yes’.”

The context of current events includes intensified Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which have led to power outages across the country over the past week.

Then emerged data about the Russian president’s position: delivering Tomahawks to Ukraine could signal a qualitatively new stage of escalation. In this context, Zelensky noted that the Ukrainian army with such missiles would be a real problem for Putin.

“I think Putin is afraid that the United States will supply us with Tomahawks. And I think he really fears that we will use them.”

Despite expectations, returning to Ukraine without a Tomahawk deal could push critics to question the purpose of the trip to the United States. The stance on reaching an agreement remains open.

As part of the intergovernmental talks, Trump tempered expectations for a deal during his meeting with Zelensky at the White House. Later, Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Thursday and said that a meeting in Budapest with the Russian leader would be the second attempt to end the war in Ukraine. He said the call with Putin was “very productive” and he believes that significant progress was made during today’s phone conversation.

“The conversation with Putin was very productive, and I believe significant progress was made during today’s phone call.”

“The war in the Middle East was much more complex. We did it, and I think we have good chances. I think President Zelensky wants to do this, and I think President Putin wants to do it as well.”

In the context of news about regional ceasefires and talks among key leaders, it is noted that the U.S. administration’s efforts regarding Ukraine and other conflict regions remain challenging but offer hope for de-escalation and the possibility of a lasting peaceful solution.

The NBC News Digital team – international editor Babak Dehghanpisheh from New York and colleagues Caroline Kenny, Sydney Caruth, Megan Shannon, and Megan Lebovitz – prepared the piece with coverage of events and statements by the leaders.