Zelensky poses for a photo before lunch with Trump at the White House. AP Yonhap News. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed lingering regret that U.S. President Donald Trump did not definitively confirm whether he would provide Tomahawk missiles.

In an interview with NBC broadcast on the 19th (local time), President Zelensky stated, "It's good that President Trump didn't say 'no,' but at this point, he hasn't said 'yes' either." He added, "It seems Putin is truly afraid that the United States will give us Tomahawks and that we will use them."

He reiterated his request for Tomahawks, saying, "Operations are difficult with drones alone. We need long-range Tomahawk missiles. The United States has the weapons necessary for combined attacks, just as Russia does."

President Trump had previously hinted multiple times at the possibility of supplying Tomahawks, which have a range of 2,500 km. However, during his meeting with President Zelensky on the 17th, he expressed a reserved stance on the supply of Tomahawks.

Zelensky had made efforts to obtain Tomahawks, sending Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and others to the United States three days before the White House meeting to coordinate arms support. However, his plans were disrupted when Trump, the day before meeting Zelensky, spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and agreed to hold a US-Russia summit.

Zelensky also employed a flattery strategy, suggesting that Trump's mediation for a ceasefire in Gaza could be a driving force to end the war in Ukraine, but it did not work. Trump did not promise to provide any other weapons besides Tomahawks. NBC reported, "If he returns to Ukraine without an agreement on Tomahawks, critics will question why he went to the United States in the first place."

Tomahawk missile. Reuters Yonhap News. 

Zelensky also did not hide his wariness of a peace settlement discussion between Trump and Putin.

It has been reported that Putin demanded during his call with Trump the full handover of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine, which Russia currently occupies about three-quarters of. However, Zelensky argued to NBC, "We must defend our current positions (front lines) and cannot give Putin anything more."

He stated that he could join the Budapest meeting if invited, but added, "I am not sure if Putin is ready to end this war."

Zelensky also posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Words cannot stop Putin; pressure is needed. The world sees that Russia responds to strength. This means peace through strength can work." He added, "We will not allow any compensation for terrorist crimes, and we expect our partners to fully uphold this position."

The European political scene was thrown into further confusion as Trump, who had been pressuring Putin for some time, changed his stance. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed disappointment, saying, "This visit did not go as Zelensky had hoped."

European leaders had repeatedly expressed gratitude for Trump's peace efforts, including the Alaska summit. However, there is a sense of reluctant acceptance as Trump has now agreed to a separate meeting with Putin in Budapest, Hungary, without any particular expression of gratitude. This is because they have to observe peace discussions between the US and Russia, which exclude European countries, from pro-Russian EU member states.

European leaders speaking with Trump in May. EPA Yonhap News. 

Spanish newspaper El País, citing sources, reported that the EU considers the Budapest meeting a "political nightmare." An anonymous European diplomat commented, "The venue for the meeting was carefully chosen because it could deepen divisions within the EU regarding Russia and be advantageous to Russia."

Ahead of the US-Russia summit, Hungary has taken a more confrontational stance against Ukraine and its European supporters.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, commenting on the Polish court's decision to release those responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions on the 17th, stated, "According to Poland, it is permissible to blow up infrastructure in Europe that you do not like. This is essentially granting prior authorization for acts of terror." He added, "This is the state of the rule of law in Europe." Russia has been pressuring Europe to quickly investigate and disclose the results regarding individuals of Ukrainian nationality who blew up the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines between Russia and Europe in September 2022.

Last month, when Zelensky raised suspicions of a Hungarian reconnaissance drone violating Hungarian airspace, Szijjártó dismissed it, saying, "President Zelensky has gone mad with his anti-Hungarian obsession. He has now started to see things." The two countries had a strained relationship even before the Ukraine war, not only due to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's pro-Russian policies but also due to ethnic conflicts in border regions.

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