US President Donald Trump signaled a cautious approach to arming Ukraine during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Instead of committing to provide Tomahawk cruise missiles, Trump appeared more interested in pushing for a peace deal with Russia.

Although he did not completely reject the idea of sending the missiles, Trump suggested the United States might need them for its own security in the future. “We may need them in future conflicts,” he said, according to The Guardian. Trump also mentioned that he looked forward to meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary soon.

Trump calls for immediate ceasefire

The two leaders held more than two hours of talks, after which Trump called for an immediate halt to the fighting. He urged both countries to “stop the war immediately,” even if it required Ukraine to give up some territory.

“You stop at the battle line, and both sides should go home, go to their families,” Trump told reporters while leaving for his home in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Stop the killing. And that should be it. Stop right now at the battle line. I told that to President Zelenskyy. I told it to President Putin.”

Zelenskyy insists on missile support

Despite Trump’s reluctance, Zelenskyy made a firm case for American missile support. He said Ukraine had thousands of drones ready for strikes on Russian positions but lacked Tomahawk missiles. “We don’t have Tomahawks, that’s why we need Tomahawks,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump replied, “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks.” He then emphasized his stance on keeping American weapons for national defense. “We want Tomahawks, also. We don’t want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country,” he added.

Putin’s warning influences Trump’s tone

Trump’s reserved tone came shortly after a surprise phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. During that call, Putin warned that supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks would harm relations between Washington and Moscow.

Since returning to office, Trump’s position on sending weapons to Ukraine has changed multiple times—often after talks with Putin or with European countries backing Kyiv.

Plans for future meeting with Putin

At the White House meeting, Trump also discussed a possible bilateral session with Putin in Hungary. He said the details were “to be determined” and was unsure whether Zelenskyy would participate. “There is a lot of bad blood,” Trump said, referring to the strained relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump’s social media message

After his discussions, Trump turned to social media to call for an end to hostilities. “Stop the killing, and make a DEAL!” he posted on Truth Social. “They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!”

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, told reporters that he understood the US hesitation over providing long-range missiles. He said he was “realistic” about the chances of receiving them and did not want to escalate the conflict further.

Zelenskyy looks to Europe for backing

Following the meeting, Zelenskyy reached out to several European leaders by phone. He told them he was counting on Trump to use his influence over Putin “to stop this war.”