Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Zelensky To Meet Trump At White House On Friday Amid Discussion On Tomahawk Missiles


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, according to officials from both the US administration and the Ukrainian Embassy.

Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, confirmed the meeting, while embassy spokesperson Halyna Yusypiuk said Trump personally invited Zelenskyy for high-level talks, NBC News reported.

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The visit comes as Trump indicated that the US is considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles , which could be used to strike targets inside Russia.

“We may not, but we may do it,” Trump said on Air Force One on Monday.“I think it's appropriate to bring up - yeah, I want to. I want to see the war settled.”

Trump also confirmed discussions with Zelensky over the weekend regarding the missiles:“We'll see,” he said.

Russian leaders have warned against providing the weapons . President Vladimir Putin said such a move would mark a“qualitatively new stage of escalation,” while former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev cautioned,“It could end badly for everyone, and first and foremost, for Trump himself.”

Ukrainian delegation to focus on defense and energy

Zelensky's visit will include top Ukrainian officials such as Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and national security chief Rustem Umerov.

Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, said in a post on X:“High-level talks aim to strengthen Ukraine's defense, secure our energy resilience, and intensify sanctions pressure on the aggressor.”

Zelensky added that discussions with Trump during recent calls covered key topics:“We agreed on a set of topics to discuss today, and we covered all the aspects of the situation: defense of life in our country, strengthening our capabilities - in air defense, resilience, and long-range capabilities.”

Zelensky highlights strategic needs

Zelensky in a Fox News interview on Sunday, emphasized the need for both advanced air defense systems and long-range weapons .“We need real air defense. And the second point is to have long weapons, long-distance capabilities,” he said.

The Ukrainian President also referenced the Israel-Hamas peace agreement brokered by Trump as a source of hope.“The peace agreement between Israel and Hamas has given my country hope - after Trump told me that the Ukraine war is more difficult [to end], that it's a bigger war.”

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