U.S.–UKRAINE RELATIONS UNDER PRESSURE: ZELENSKY’S WASHINGTON VISIT AND TRUMP–PUTIN DIPLOMACY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington for the third time since January 2025, arriving at the White House for an important meeting with US President Donald Trump. The main topic of discussion was whether Ukraine could be supplied with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking Russia's interior regions. This meeting took place just one day after Trump's phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as having made "great progress." Trump also announced plans for a face-to-face meeting with Putin in Hungary.

In this context, Zelensky requested that the US supply Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles with a range of 2,500 km, but Trump has not made a clear decision on this matter. Initially, he left the possibility open by saying, "We'll see... I can do it," but after his meeting with Putin, Trump adopted a more cautious stance. "We can't deplete our Tomahawk stockpiles; we need them too."

Amidst all these developments, Trump said in his meeting with Putin that they discussed trade between the two countries at length once the war in Ukraine ends. It was announced that Putin and Trump's teams will hold a meeting next week and that this process will be managed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While the Putin-Trump meeting was ongoing, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also got involved in the process. Orban argued that the European Union should be excluded from peace talks due to its pro-war stance and described the planned Putin-Trump meeting in Budapest as "good news for peace lovers." However, while diplomatic developments were taking place, Russia launched one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine. The attack involved 28 ballistic missiles and 320 unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine's Ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said the attack revealed Moscow's true intentions, which are far from peace, and called for stronger sanctions, air defense systems, and long-range weapons support in response. Trump sought a way out for peace during his face-to-face meeting with Putin in Alaska.

In conclusion, although Zelensky requested stronger and longer-range weapons support from the US, Trump remains indecisive on this issue and is also trying to take domestic political balances into account. Although Trump's meetings with Putin and the planned meetings between US and Russian advisers are seen as an opportunity to end the war through diplomatic means, Russia's intense attacks on Ukraine continue to undermine hopes for peace. Although Trump's stance has hardened over time, he is far from taking decisive action due to both the US's own security reserves and international pressure. While the European Union remains on the sidelines, countries such as Hungary are trying to create alternative channels for peace. Ultimately, both the fighting on the ground and global diplomatic efforts show that resolving the war in the short term will not be easy, but that international pressure and the stance of political leaders will significantly influence the process.

References:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmxz37nv3zo