Published On 16/10/2025
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Last update: 20:25 (Mecca time)
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had a long conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a day before the expected visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House, which aims to obtain additional support in his country’s war with Russia.
Trump explained, in a post on his “Truth Social” platform, that the conversation was “long and fruitful, and our success in the Middle East will contribute to negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.”
He added, “I discussed with President Putin trade with Russia when the war in Ukraine ends… and we agreed to hold a meeting of our high-level advisors next week.”
The call between the two presidents comes on the eve of Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, who is scheduled to discuss Ukraine’s request to obtain American Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are long-range weapons that could put major Russian cities within Kiev’s crosshairs.
Trump told reporters that it is possible to supply Ukraine with these missiles “if Putin refuses to enter into serious negotiations to end the war,” indicating that he still “believes in the possibility of reaching a just peace agreement.”
In recent months, Trump expressed his increasing frustration with the continued Russian attacks on Ukraine, despite Putin’s previous promises to discuss paths of calm, while Moscow and Kiev continued to exchange bombings on energy facilities.
In the latest wave of bombing, Zelensky said today that Russia launched attacks overnight with more than 300 drones and 37 missiles targeting infrastructure in various parts of Ukraine.
For several consecutive winters, Russia has been targeting energy facilities in Ukraine, initially focusing on the electricity grid, but this year it intensified its strikes on gas infrastructure as the war approaches its fourth year.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) faces challenges in dealing with the escalation of Russian air strikes, while Kiev seeks to strengthen its defensive and offensive capabilities as winter approaches.
Following their meeting tomorrow, Friday, at the White House, Trump and Zelensky are expected to announce new steps related to American military support for Ukraine and the possible course of negotiations with Moscow.