Trump hosts Zelenskyy at the White House after call with Putin

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday. The meeting between the two leaders comes after Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin discussing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Associated Press reported that Zelenskyy at the start of the White House discussions, said he had a "proposition" in which Ukraine could provide the United States with its advanced drones, while Washington, D.C. would sell Kyiv the long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles that Ukrainian officials tell the AP they need to motivate Putin to get serious about peace talks.

Trump said he was hesitant to tap into the U.S. Tomahawk supply, a turnabout after days of suggesting he was seriously weighing sending the missiles to help Ukraine beat back Russia's invasion.

In recent days, Trump signaled openness to selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, despite warnings from Putin that the move could further strain U.S.-Russia relations.

But after Thursday’s call with Putin, Trump appeared to downplay Ukraine’s chances of receiving the missiles, which can reach up to 995 miles (1,600 kilometers).

Here's the latest updates from the meeting of the two leaders on Friday:

Trump says Putin, Zelenskyy should stop fighting

5 p.m. ET: In a post to Truth Social following his meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump said Zelenskyy and Putin "should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory."

Trump called his meeting with the Ukrainian leader "very interesting, and cordial, but I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing, and make a DEAL!"

Trump says Putin was ‘very generous’ praising him for peacemaking efforts

2:30 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump said his Russian counterpart was speaking on their call Thursday about Trump’s efforts to solve global conflicts and "said it was amazing."

Trump then again complained that he didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize this year, saying, "Somebody got it who’s a very nice woman."

Despite his complaint, he then insisted he was unbothered.

"I don’t care about all that stuff. I just care about saving lives," he said.

Zelenskyy suggests he’s interested in trading Ukrainian military drones for Tomahawk missiles

2 p.m. ET: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that while his country has thousands of military drones, they don’t have the strong missiles that the U.S. makes and suggested both countries can work together for their military goals.

Trump, when asked if the U.S. was interested in such a deal, said, "We are."

He said that drone warfare has "really come to the fore" over the last few years because of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It’s unclear if Zelenskyy will join Trump’s meeting in Hungary with Putin

1:45 p.m. ET: President Donald Trump told reporters, "To be determined" as he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Cabinet room at the White House.

He said it most likely would be a "double meeting," but that Zelenskyy would be in touch throughout.

Trump said there is "bad blood" between Putin and Zelenskyy, the Associated Press reported. 

"These two leaders do not like each other and we want to make it comfortable for everybody," he said.

Zelenskyy arrives at the White House to meet with Trump

1:25 p.m. ET: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the White House on Friday, greeted by members of the U.S. military holding state flags.

It’s the fourth meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump as they’ve sought to resolve Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump spoke separately on Thursday by phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and plans to meet with him in roughly two weeks in Budapest, Hungary.

Tensions over missile deal

"We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too," Trump said. "We have a lot of them, but we need them. I mean we can't deplete our country."

Zelenskyy has been pushing for weapons that would let Ukrainian forces strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military sites, energy facilities, and key infrastructure.

He argues such strikes could pressure Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations more seriously.

But during the call, Putin warned Trump that sending Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv "won't change the situation on the battlefield, but would cause substantial damage to the relationship between our countries," according to Yuri Ushakov, his foreign policy adviser.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the discussion around supplying Tomahawk missiles had already helped push Putin toward talks. 

"The conclusion is that we need to continue with strong steps. Strength can truly create momentum for peace," Sybiha wrote on X late Thursday.

READ MORE: The relationship between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelenskyy

It marks the fourth in-person meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy since the Republican returned to office in January, and their second in less than a month.

Following Thursday’s call with Putin, Trump announced plans to meet the Russian leader soon in Budapest to discuss ending the war. 

Both sides also agreed their senior aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will meet next week at an undisclosed location.

Fresh off brokering a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump says ending the war in Ukraine is now his top foreign policy priority, and he’s newly confident about the chances of making it happen.

Before his call with Putin, Trump had shown growing frustration with the Russian leader.

READ MORE: Trump and Zelensky's White House meeting expected to 'stay on the rails' this time, experts say

Push for peace talks

Last month, Trump said he believes Ukraine can reclaim all territory lost to Russia, a sharp shift from his earlier calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.

Since his 2024 campaign, Trump has vowed to end the war quickly, but his peace push appeared to stall after a flurry of diplomacy in August, including a summit with Putin in Alaska and a White House meeting with Zelenskyy and European allies.

Trump left those meetings confident he was paving the way for direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin. 

But the Russian leader has shown no interest in meeting and Moscow has only stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine.

Trump, for his part, struck a more neutral tone on Ukraine after what he called a "very productive" call with Putin.

He also suggested that talks between Putin and Zelenskyy may need to be conducted indirectly.

"They don't get along too well those two," Trump said. "So we may do something where we're separate. Separate but equal."

READ MORE: Trump, Zelenskyy meet in DC amid heavy traffic, tight security