Axios Says Zelensky Was Caught Off Guard by Trump’s Call with Putin

Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermak told Axios that Volodymyr Zelensky expects concrete decisions from the U.S. on weapons deliveries during his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.

“We need decisions that will change Putin’s perception of the situation. He must understand that with President Trump, it’s impossible to play games,” Yermak said, as quoted by Axios.

According to the outlet, Zelensky, who arrived in Washington on Thursday, is optimistic about the talks and hopes they will result in an agreement on the transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. However, Axios notes that shortly after landing at Andrews Air Force Base, the Ukrainian delegation was surprised by Trump’s announcement of a phone call with Vladimir Putin and plans to meet him in Hungary—a country Kyiv views as one of the least supportive of Ukraine within the European Union.

Yermak clarified that the invitation for Zelensky to visit the White House resulted from two phone conversations between the presidents held a week earlier. “Both calls went very well. The presidents understand each other and immediately began speaking concretely. The fact that they so quickly agreed to meet shows that we are friends and partners,” he told Axios.

According to Yermak, although both conversations were conducted over a secure line, the leaders discussed topics that can only be addressed in person. “There are many issues that cannot be discussed over the phone: the situation at the front, our military plans, and our vision for the next steps in the peace process,” he explained. Yermak added that Zelensky has expressed readiness to meet with Putin “in any format and in any location,” except Russia and Belarus. As Axios reminds, Putin has repeatedly rejected such proposals.

One of the key topics in the upcoming talks, Axios writes, will be the expansion of the range of weapons the U.S. is willing to sell to Ukraine. Kyiv’s top priority is the Tomahawk missile. According to Yermak, Ukraine is still waiting for a decision and believes that “such weapons could change the situation.” He emphasized that Kyiv needs the missiles to strike factories producing drones and missiles inside Russia.

Yermak also noted that Ukraine expects access to other weapons systems whose supply requires U.S. approval. “We need a political decision from the United States that will allow us to purchase any weapons necessary to defend our country, without restrictions,” he said. As Axios points out, Kyiv has been facing delays in NATO countries’ weapons procurement mechanism, particularly regarding air defense systems.

Even if Trump agrees to supply Ukraine with Tomahawks, it remains unclear how many missiles the U.S. could allocate from its own stockpiles. The outlet notes that Washington has a limited number of Typhon launchers required to fire these missiles. U.S. and Ukrainian experts cited by Axios believe that the United States is likely to provide older Tomahawk variants that Russian air defenses are capable of intercepting.

Zelensky, however, is convinced that even the mere fact of Ukraine possessing such missiles would be a strong argument in talks with Putin. “We already see that Moscow rushes to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about the Tomahawks,” he said on Thursday, according to Axios.

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that during his conversation with Trump, Putin also raised the topic of the Tomahawks. According to Ushakov, the Russian leader noted that these missiles would not change the situation on the battlefield but would damage U.S.-Russian relations and peace efforts—Axios also reports.

Ukraine, in turn, hopes that as early as next week the European Union will decide to use more than $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons from American defense companies. “We need more air defense systems, first and foremost the Patriot. Other types of weapons were also discussed, which I would prefer not to name,” Yermak said.

As Axios notes, during his visit to Washington, Zelensky also plans to meet with executives from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, as well as representatives of U.S. energy companies. “Since Russia is betting on terror against our energy infrastructure and strikes it daily, we are working to ensure Ukraine’s resilience,” he said.

In conclusion, Axios reports that Zelensky links his expectations from the meeting with Trump to the latter’s success in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza. Yermak added that the Ukrainian president told Trump that if he manages to end the war, he would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of all Ukrainians.

“The deal in Gaza showed that Trump is the leader of the free world and a man capable of ending the war in Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians and people across Europe will be watching what happens at the White House on Friday,” Yermak emphasized in his conversation with Axios.