Trump 'Now Has a Big Chance to Finish This War'

Ukraine's Zelensky visits the White House again
Posted Oct 17, 2025 1:29 PM CDT
Trump Skeptical He Can Get Putin, Zelensky in Same Room
President Trump greets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Trump continued his Ukraine-Russia diplomacy on Friday by welcoming Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House. The two are expected to address reporters after a meeting with advisers, but their comments ahead of time were cordial. Some highlights:

  • Trump, who spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, said he plans to meet both men in the near future in Hungary. But he expects to meet with each leader separately rather than in a trilateral meeting, reports the New York Times. "These two leaders do not like each other, and we want to make it comfortable for everybody."

  • The two also were asked about the possibility of the US giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, and Trump continues to sound a new note of skepticism about the idea, notes the Washington Post. "That's the problem: We need the Tomahawks," said Trump when asked about what would happen if the US military had a need for them, too. "We can't deplete our country." Zelensky interjected that the US had "very strong production" of the missiles.
  • The Ukraine leader suggested he was more optimistic about reaching a deal to end the war after the US-brokered deal in the Mideast. "President Trump now has a big chance to finish this war," he said, per the AP.

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