Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump as “positive,”even though Washington declined to provide Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.Speaking to reporters after what was reportedly a tense encounter, Zelenskyy said all parties have “moved closer” to a possible end to the war with Russia.”That doesn’t mean it will definitely end, but President Trump has achieved a lot in the Middle East, and riding that wave he wants to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy added.Zelenskyy revealed that Trump, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin just hours before his talks with the Ukrainian leader, chose not to escalate tensions. “In my opinion, he does not want an escalation with the Russians until he meets with them,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Trump’s overall message “is positive” for Ukraine, as he supports maintaining the current front line.Despite earlier hopes of securing long-range Tomahawk missiles, Zelenskyy said Trump walked back the possibility following his call with Putin. Ukraine is also seeking to acquire 25 Patriot air defense systems from American firms using frozen Russian assets and partner assistance. However, Zelenskyy noted that supply delays remain due to production backlogs and that Trump promised to explore help from European partners.”We share President Trump’s positive outlook if it leads to the end of the war. After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with him and his team, his message, in my view, is positive – that we stand where we stand on the line of contact, provided all sides understand what is meant,” Zelenskyy said, AP reported.According to Zelenskyy, Putin’s “maximalist demand,” that Ukraine surrender the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, remains unchanged. Still, the Ukrainian president maintained a diplomatic tone, saying Trump’s engagement could help advance peace talks. Trump is expected to meet Putin again in Budapest in the coming weeks after their previous summit in Alaska failed to yield a breakthrough.Zelenskyy said he has not been invited to the upcoming meeting but would consider attending if the format were “fair to Kyiv.”He also voiced doubts about Hungary’s capital being an appropriate venue but added, “If it can bring peace, it will not matter which country hosts the meeting.”The Ukrainian leader expressed skepticism over Putin’s proposal to exchange parts of Russian-held Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in return for Ukraine’s surrender of Donetsk and Luhansk. “We wanted to understand exactly what the Russians meant. So far, there is no clear position,”he said.Zelenskyy emphasised that while a peace deal is not guaranteed, Trump’s recent diplomatic efforts could mark a turning point.He also noted that the US remains interested in expanding economic ties with Ukraine, including potential gas, nuclear, and oil projects — such as building an LNG terminal in the southern port city of Odesa.
