US President Donald Trump is holding a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing Ukraine war on Thursday.
In a post on Truth Social, he said, “I am speaking to President
Putin now. The conversation is ongoing, a lengthy one, and I will report the contents, as will President Putin, at its conclusion. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Notably, the call took place a day before Trump hosts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. According to a Ukrainian official, the scheduled talks between Trump and Zelenskyy on Friday will focus on the possible delivery of American long-range Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv.
“The main topic of discussion is Tomahawks. Of course, there is also the issue of Patriots,” the Ukrainian official said, referring to US air defence batteries.
The Ukrainian leader plans to arrive in Washington on Thursday ahead of the talks. Zelenskyy’s visit will include top Ukrainian officials such as Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and national security chief Rustem Umerov.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’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.”
Earlier, the US President had 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 earlier this week, adding, “I think it’s appropriate to bring up — yeah, I want to. I want to see the war settled.”
Trump said that he told Zelenskyy during their call last week that he might give Putin a new ultimatum to resume serious peace talks or else the US will provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles.
However, Russian leaders have warned against providing the weapons. Putin said that 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.”
Ukraine remains heavily reliant on American weapons as its war with Russia nears the four-year mark in February 2026.
Through the PURL programme, Washington has pledged $2 billion in military aid, though this remains well below the $3.5 billion Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had hoped to secure by October.
