Donald Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, hours after threatening that he might authorize the deployment of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. The two will meet in Budapest.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "I am speaking to President Putin now. The conversation is ongoing, a lengthy one, and I will report the contents, as will President Putin, at its conclusion. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The phone call took place just days before Trump's scheduled meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. In recent months, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin for ignoring his calls to agree to a ceasefire.
Trump's Sudden Call to Putin
However, at the same time, he has voiced greater support for Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia's 2022 invasion. The date when the two world leaders will meet in Budapest is yet to be determined.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that when Zelensky meets with Donald Trump on Friday, their main topic will be the potential supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv.
Trump had hinted on Sunday that he might personally reach out to Putin to discuss the matter. "I might talk to him, I might say, 'Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks.' I may say that," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the Middle East.
"The Tomahawk is a incredible weapon, very offensive weapon, and honestly, Russia does not need that."
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the U.S. president said that Ukraine "wants to go on the offensive" and confirmed that he would be discussing Kyiv's request for cruise missiles.
The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has improved notably since February, when the two clashed during a tense televised meeting at the White House, where Trump bluntly told the Ukrainian leader, "You don't have the cards."
Trump is now eager to push for a peace settlement in Ukraine, building on the momentum from the ceasefire deal he helped broker last week between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Trump Wants Result
Trump's frustration has grown since his August summit with Putin in Alaska ended without any real progress. Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that if Russia continues to resist peace talks and refuses to compromise, Washington "will take the steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression."
Later that day, Hegseth's return trip to the U.S. was interrupted when his Boeing C-32 jet was forced to make an emergency landing in England due to a cracked windshield while flying over the Atlantic. The plane safely touched down at RAF Mildenhall.
Trump also revealed on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally assured him that India would halt its purchases of Russian oil — a move that could deprive Moscow of crucial revenue to sustain its war in Ukraine.
The U.S. has so far been cautious about sending Ukraine long-range missiles like the Tomahawks, fearing that such a move could heighten tensions with Russia and risk escalating the conflict.
However, Trump has grown increasingly impatient over his inability to bring the war to an end and has voiced irritation with Putin, whom he now often calls the biggest roadblock to peace.
In a report published late Wednesday, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War argued that providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would not escalate the conflict, saying it would simply "mirror Russia's own use of long-range cruise missiles against Ukraine."
