Zelenskyy visits Washington to discuss the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

 

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelenskyy visits Washington to discuss the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Washington starting Thursday and is scheduled to hold talks with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday regarding the possible delivery of Tomahawk missiles to his country , according to a senior Ukrainian official quoted by Agence France-Presse.

Zelenskyy will arrive in the US capital on Thursday to meet with representatives of the defense industry, according to the official, who requested anonymity. The official added that the goal is to determine "when supplies will actually be possible."

Relations between the two presidents have improved since February, following a stormy meeting during which Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance berated Zelenskyy in front of reporters, describing him as "ungrateful."

Trump subsequently became more hawkish toward Moscow and showed increasing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while expressing sympathy for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian source told AFP that relations between Washington and Kyiv are now "more pragmatic." He added, "The Americans generally seem to realize that helping Ukraine earns them points, and that, like pressuring Russia, will end the situation."

Ukrainian officials visiting Washington this week met with representatives of American arms manufacturers, including Raytheon, which produces Tomahawk missiles.

The source indicated that Zelensky will also meet with arms manufacturers to discuss when deliveries will begin, "but this requires a political signal."

Russia has warned that sending missiles to Ukraine would sever ties with Washington and trigger a new round of escalation.

The source declined to specify the number of missiles Trump is considering sending to Ukraine, saying that the arsenal alone would be "enough for Putin to feel."

In a related development, the Financial Times, citing a Western military official, reported that US specialists would assist Ukrainian forces in using Tomahawk missiles if their delivery to Kyiv is approved.

According to the source, if the missile delivery is approved, American experts will assist Ukrainian forces in using them. He added, "This will eliminate the need for intensive training for Ukrainian soldiers, and the United States will be able to oversee targeting and other matters."

For his part, another NATO source confirmed to the newspaper that the Tomahawk missiles will not change the course of military operations, adding that the missiles will "complement what Ukraine has already achieved" using drones.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk told the newspaper that so far, none of the delivered weapons systems have been able to change the course of events on their own, "but together they can make a huge difference."