Zelenskyy Complains That Trump’s Latest Move Against Russia Is Not Enough, Pushes for Controversial Weapons
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged former U.S. President Donald Trump to go beyond recent sanctions against russia by supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In an interview with axios, Zelenskyy acknowledged that while Trump’s sanctions will hurt Russia, more decisive measures are necessary to deter russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of having the missiles not necessarily for immediate use, but as a strategic threat, especially targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure.
This request follows a reportedly tense meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump on October 17, during which Zelenskyy sought to convince Trump to provide the missiles but left dissatisfied with the result. Zelenskyy noted that trump was concerned about escalating the conflict and preferred to maintain space for diplomacy, including a prior proposal to freeze the front lines as a basis for negotiation. However, this diplomatic effort lost momentum after unsuccessful talks between U.S. and Russian officials.
Zelenskyy expressed hope that further sanctions and parallel actions by the U.S. Congress would increase pressure on Russia. He remains convinced that only by expanding Ukraine’s ability to strike deeper into Russian territory can Putin be forced to negotiate an end to the invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded that President Donald Trump follow up on his recent sanctions against Russia by providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Speaking with Axios on Sunday for a phone interview, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Trump’s sanctions will hurt Russia but maintained that more is needed to put Russian President Vladimir Putin in check.
“President Trump is concerned about escalation, but I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway,” he said. “I think that if Putin doesn’t stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles.”
The request came roughly a week after Trump and Zelenskyy butted heads during what Axios described as a “tense meeting” on Oct. 17.
Trump and Zelensky discussing potential Tomahawks for drones exchange.
Trump quickly changes the subject to how strong US jets are and how they defended Israel. pic.twitter.com/dcAffilGRA
— ayden (@squatsons) October 17, 2025
“Nobody shouted, but Trump was tough,” a source told Axios about the Oct. 17 meeting.
“Zelenskyy had gone to the White House hoping to convince Trump to agree to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles for its fight against the Russian invasion, but left unhappy with the summit’s outcome,” Politico reported, citing another source.
The Ukrainian president told Axios on Sunday that he believes Trump wanted at the time to avoid any potential escalation.
“My talks with President Trump were about pressure on Russia,” he said. “I think he wanted to pressure them, but he didn’t want to make an escalation or close the window… for diplomacy.”
He reiterated, as he’d done days earlier, that he’d accept a prior proposal from Trump to freeze the front lines as the basis for the beginning of negotiations.
‘Good compromise’ – Zelensky backs Trump’s call to ‘stay where we are’ after US pres calls for frozen frontline pic.twitter.com/HilwtyHeCA
— Viory Video (@vioryvideo) October 22, 2025
“I think that we understood each other,” Zelenskyy told Axios. “President Trump said we have to freeze the current situation and speak.”
However, Trump’s interest in the proposal disappeared last week after a call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart fell apart because of Putin’s refusal to back down even an inch.
“As far as I know, the conversation between Rubio and Lavrov was not positive,” Zelenskyy told Axios. “They did the same after Alaska. This is the third or fourth time when Putin and his people reject what Trump says.”
Putin’s apparent refusal to compromise led to Trump imposing sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies.
Zelenskyy for his part said he hopes “new secondary sanctions” will be imposed, and that Congress will follow up with “parallel steps.”
The Ukrainian president also stressed that he still staunchly believes that the only way to force Putin’s hand is for Ukraine to target deep in Russia — particularly energy facilities — using the Tomahawk missiles.
He also said that he wouldn’t need to use the missiles immediately, because Putin will simply be aware that Zelenskyy possessing them poses a threat to “Russia’s energy facilities.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
