Ukraine war live: Trump meets Zelensky at White House after Putin’s warning

Volodymyr Zelensky is staying at Blair House, the president’s official guest house that is often used by foreign leaders.

There is heavy security in place, with roads near the White House blocked off in the same manner as for a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the beginning of the month.

Known as the Presidential Guest House, Blair House is an official residence in Washington, D.C., sometimes described as “the world’s most exclusive hotel.”

A Ukrainian flag hangs over the residence to mark Mr Zelensky’s visit. A large white tent has been set up outside the house, possibly for security purposes.

A short distance from the house, there is a cordon of big trucks and police vehicles, which prevents any car from going towards Blair House.

We would expect to see some more activity in the area in the next few hours, when Ukrainians head to the White House to be welcomed once again by President Donald Trump.

They are due to arrive at 1pm local time (6pm UK time).

The EU welcomes a proposed meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin if it could help bring peace to Ukraine, a spokesman said at a briefing on Friday.

Trump said Thursday that he and Putin could meet in Budapest within the next two weeks, after a more than two-hour phone conversation that he described as productive. The Kremlin confirmed plans for a meeting, although neither side specified a date when it would take place.

Volodymyr Zelensky wants Tomahawk missiles to destroy Russia’s combat command and control in his country. Donald Trump has said he is tempted to sell them out to Kiev, prompting leading Kremlin extremist and former President Dmitry Medvedev to claim that “this will end badly for everyone” – especially the US.

Tomahawk missiles can fly a thousand miles (1,600 km), carry about half a ton of explosives, can be directed at targets in Russia, are accurate to within a few meters, and can rotate in the sky to dive on a target of opportunity. The US has launched Tomahawks this year against the Houthis in Yemen and against Iran to devastating but strategic effect.

Ukraine has developed its own long-range missile, Flamingo or FP-5. It could hit targets up to 1,600 miles (3,000 km) away and carry more than a ton of explosives.

If Zelensky persuades Trump to sell Tomahawk missiles to European donors to Ukraine, it would be a huge military boost for Kiev.

Our world affairs editor Sam Kiely writes:

Volodymyr Zelensky has landed his fourth face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump and his second in the past month.

A week ago, this would have been seen as a perfectly timed meeting by Kiev to pressure Trump into stepping up pressure on Moscow. The US President’s resentment towards Moscow is increasing after his face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

But after a phone call yesterday between the US and Russian presidents, Zelensky came to the meeting a little less aggressive than he initially expected.

Trump praised the “great progress” made in the phone call and said he would meet with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said Putin had warned Trump against sending Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, and the chances of the US president doing so seemed slim.

Zelensky will now try to convince Trump that his Russian counterpart is not serious about peace. He has already argued to X that Putin is resuming talks only to save Russia from Tomahawks.

“Putin is certainly no braver than Hamas or any other terrorist,” he said.

“The language of strength and justice will inevitably work against Russia as well. We can already see Moscow rushing to restart negotiations as soon as it hears about the Tomahawks.”

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of three more villages in eastern Ukraine.

According to the ministry, Russian troops have taken control of Privila in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as Pishchen and Tykh in the Kharkiv region.

Independent The battlefield report could not be independently verified.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday that Hungary will ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin can enter the country for a planned summit with President Trump in Budapest.

Trump announced Thursday that he will meet with Putin in the Hungarian capital to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

Mr Szijjarto said the dates for the summit could be discussed after a meeting between the US and Russian foreign ministers next week.

Vladimir Putin has warned Donald Trump not to give Ukraine Tomahawks in a crucial phone call last night.

The discussion appeared to soften the US president’s stance against Putin, which had grown tougher in recent weeks, while Trump appeared to consider whether Kiev should send long-range missiles.

The Kremlin said Putin had warned Trump that giving Kiev Tomahawk cruise missiles – one of the most significant upgrades in US support that Zelensky is seeking – would damage relations between Moscow and Kiev.

“Vladimir Putin reiterated his point that the Tomahawks will not change the situation on the battlefield, but will cause significant damage to relations between our countries, not to mention the prospects for a peaceful settlement,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said. Kyiv independent,

It seems that the US President will not be able to decide to send missiles to Ukraine.

He told reporters in the Oval Office, “We need Tomahawks for the United States, too. We have a lot of them, but we need them. I mean, we can’t run out of them for our country.”

“I don’t know what we can do about it,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called a meeting of Russia’s powerful Security Council following a phone call with Donald Trump, Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov as saying on Friday.

According to Ushakov, Putin gave detailed information to the Security Council members about his conversation with Trump.

Trump and Putin agreed to another summit on the war in Ukraine on Thursday, a surprise move as Moscow fears new US military support for Kiev.

In Putin’s Russia, the Security Council is a key decision-making arena on Russia’s most important national security issues.

Kiev’s air force said Russian forces launched 70 drones over Ukraine overnight Friday.

The airstrikes were largely repulsed by Ukrainian missile defense but strikes were recorded at 10 locations.

“By 09:00, air defense units destroyed or jammed 35 enemy UAVs of Martyr, Gerbera and other types in the north and east of the country,” it said.

“Attacks from 31 attack drones were recorded at 10 locations, while debris from downed UAVs fell at two other locations.”