Trump Meets Zelenskyy: Can Tomahawks Lead To A Ceasefire?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Washington for a critical summit with US President Donald Trump, seeking urgent military support amid intensified Russian missile attacks on Kyiv. Zelenskyy, armed with detailed military and economic proposals, is pushing for advanced Patriot systems and long-range Tomahawk missiles to bolster Ukraine's defenses and pressure Moscow toward peace. Drawing momentum from the recent Israel-Gaza ceasefire, he highlights global peace opportunities and notes Russia's fear of US Tomahawks as a potential game-changer. Trump has acknowledged the requests, stating the US has ample supplies, but questions linger over his commitment, complicated by past allegations of Trump family ties to Pakistani crypto ventures that could influence foreign policy priorities.

Tensions escalate as Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov warns that Tomahawk deliveries would escalate battlefield dynamics, severely damage US-Russia relations, and undermine ceasefire prospects, with Putin and Trump now planning a face-to-face meeting in Budapest to discuss de-escalation. CSIS expert Maria Snegovaya cautions that an immediate truce remains improbable, given Russia's persistent artillery, drone strikes, and territorial advances, emphasising Ukraine's urgent need for manpower and weaponry to sustain resilience. Tomahawks, she argues, would symbolise unwavering US support for democracy against authoritarian aggression, potentially tipping the scales in the ongoing invasion.