United States President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as he hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Trump also told reporters that Zelenskyy will \u201cbe in touch\u201d during upcoming negotiations<\/a> in Hungary, where the US president will meet with Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n But direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders are unlikely, according to Trump, who reemphasised \u201cthere\u2019s a lot of blood\u201d between the two presidents.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we have a chance of ending the war quickly if flexibility is shown,\u201d Trump told reporters.<\/p>\n For his part, Zelenskyy also said he was hopeful about the prospect of a resolution, citing Russian losses on the battlefield and the Trump-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this is a momentum to finish Russia\u2019s war<\/a> against Ukraine,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that, yes, we understand that Putin is not ready,\u201d he told Trump. \u201cBut I think that I\u2019m confident that, with your help, we can stop this war, and we really need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s meeting marked Zelenskyy\u2019s third visit to Washington, DC, since Trump returned to office for a second term in January. The brief but amicable meeting showed an improvement in the ties between the two presidents.<\/p>\n By contrast, Zelenskyy\u2019s first visit<\/a>, in February, saw a testy exchange in the White House. Trump belittled the Ukrainian president, telling him \u2013 in front of reporters \u2013 that he is in a weak position.<\/p>\n Vice President JD Vance<\/a> joined the public berating and accused Zelenskyy of failing to express gratitude to the US for supporting Ukraine. That meeting was ultimately cut short, and Zelenskyy left the White House early.<\/p>\n Tomahawk push<\/p>\n On Friday, however, Trump lauded Zelenskyy as a \u201cvery strong leader\u201d and complimented his suit jacket.<\/p>\n Still, the US president did not commit to Ukraine\u2019s request for Tomahawk missiles, a brand of precise, long-range projectiles that Kyiv is seeking.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re a very powerful weapon, but they\u2019re a very dangerous weapon, and it could mean big escalation,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt could mean a lot of bad things can happen. Tomahawks are a big deal. But one thing I have to say: We want Tomahawks also. We don\u2019t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country.\u201d<\/p>\n The US president said he will continue to talk about the issue with Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n The Ukrainian president floated trading mass-produced Ukrainian drones for US Tomahawk missiles, a proposal that Trump expressed openness to.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy also stressed that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy with Russia<\/a> to achieve a ceasefire.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand what we need to push Putin<\/a> to [the] negotiation table,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cAnd as I said previously, we are ready to speak in any kind of format \u2013 bilateral, trilateral, doesn\u2019t matter. [What] matters [is] just peace.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked whether Ukraine would give up its ambition of joining NATO in order to secure an end to the war, Zelenskyy sidestepped the idea, saying security guarantees remain important to Kyiv.<\/p>\n NATO offers a mutual defence pact to its members, meaning an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all. Russia has opposed Ukraine\u2019s efforts to join the alliance.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy, however, suggested on Friday that Ukraine would also be satisfied with a defence alliance with the US.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, bilateral security guarantees between me and President Trump is very important. I don\u2019t know, we didn\u2019t speak with details about it, but this is the most important document because the United States is very strong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Putin \u2018wants to make a deal\u2019: Trump<\/p>\n Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, citing NATO\u2019s expansion into former Soviet republics.<\/p>\n Ukrainian forces succeeded in fending off the initial stages of the offensive, which aimed to capture Kyiv. But the war has turned into a protracted conflict<\/a> concentrated in the eastern parts of Ukraine.<\/p>\n Former US President Joe Biden showed unflinching support for Ukraine and worked with Congress to secure tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid for Kyiv.<\/p>\n But Trump, who had promised to end the conflict swiftly, has been less committed to support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n Instead, he has reestablished direct contact with Putin, and he has been pushing for a diplomatic end to the war.<\/p>\n However, in a major shift last month, he asserted that Ukraine can win militarily<\/a> and reclaim all of the territories captured by Russia during the war.<\/p>\n