Zelensky offers to make drones deal with Trump for Tomahawk missiles at White House summit
Trump’s response after Zelensky pitches drone-Tomahawk missile trade
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed exchanging advanced Ukrainian drones for US Tomahawk missiles during his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House Friday.
- Trump praised Zelensky's leadership but expressed reluctance to commit to providing the long-range missiles, stating his preference to end the conflict without further arms provision.
- Despite his reservations about escalation, Trump showed openness to Zelensky's drone exchange proposal, acknowledging Ukraine's drone capabilities.
- Asked by a reporter whether he'd be interested in such a deal, Trump replied: “We are – yeah, we would. We build our own drones, but we also buy drones from others, and they [Ukraine] make a very good drone.”
- Trump also mentioned an upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin and admitted there’s a possibility he might be being “played” by Putin, while stressing his desire to broker an end to the war.