Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thinks Ukraine needs long-range missile systems like Tomahawk cruise missiles. He says these systems would improve Ukraine’s negotiation position with Russia’s allies. U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy had an official meeting, and Zelenskyy thought it was a ‘positive’ even though he didn’t get Trump to commit to supplying Tomahawk missiles.
Zelenskyy says Trump hoped to avoid conflict with Russia before his meeting with Putin
President Zelenskyy said that President Trump changed his mind and didn’t want to give long-range weapons after talking to Putin right before the meeting.
During a press conference, Zelenskyy explained that there was an understanding between Ukraine and the United States to keep discussions about the missiles private. He explained that Trump didn’t want to escalate the situation and said the U.S. needed missiles for its own reasons. When asked about his optimism for getting the Tomahawks, he simply said he was ‘realistic’
Zelenskyy emphasized the lack of long-range missile systems that have a bigger impact than just the military ones.
“We need to end this war, and only pressure will lead to peace.”
Zelenskyy says that the amount of military force a country has can dictate the outcomes of negotiations. Zelenskyy indicated that the lack of interest in diplomacy byPutin is related to the lack of U.S. missile support.
“As soon as the pressure eased a little, the Russians began to try and develop diplomacy, postpone the dialogue.”
Zelenskyy discusses a potential deal to swap Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk missiles
While discussing military aid, Zelensky proposed a potential deal to swap Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk missiles and showed U.S. officials a detailed map showing the weak parts of Russia’s defenses.
The proposal, however, did not have immediate results. Trump acknowledges the spirit of Ukraine; however, he proposed a peace plan that is a freeze along the current front lines instead of saying that he will support military aid.
Reports of a strained Oval Office interaction between the two leaders added to the diplomatic fallout from the missile issue. Earlier this year, Zelenskyy received public criticism for failing to show appreciation f0r U.S. assistance, a moment that left a lingering concern about later talks.
Zelenskyy has hopes that Trump and Putin’s meeting could spark a deal
Still, Zelenskyy seemed to prove a hope that Trump’s imminent meeting with Putin could, as he said, ‘open the doors,’ in reference to the deflated expectations from the latter talks.
Zelenskyy also made follow-up calls to several European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the presidents of the UK, Italy, and Poland, among others. Building on the previous conversation, these leaders spoke on the topics of shield guarantees and air defense, with Zelenskyy emphasizing the strategic necessity of long-range capabilities for Ukraine’s armed forces.
The comments by the President of Ukraine highlight an important issue in strategy: Ukraine currently does not possess long-range missile systems, which means they have limited options in pressing Russia to negotiate.
The missiles will speak for themselves
In an eye-raising comment, The president of Ukraine raised many concerns as he stated:
“Strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”
Zelenskyy’s comments seemed to support a new approach to operational silence, or a lack of strategic ambiguity.
Zelenskyy is pushing for advancement in weaponry with hopes of restoring some sort of peace after almost 4 years of warfare. With the current state of diplomatic negotiations, warfare is the only means to peace. Clearly, Zelenskyy believes the answer to peace and diplomacy will be through an increase in military support.