Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a swarm of Russian drones attacked his hometown in Ukraine on the eve of his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Zelenskyy said the attack on Kryviy Rih in southeastern Ukraine late on October 16 was an example of how Russia is “still terrorizing Ukraine,” and he said there were “dozens more attack drones in our skies” and missiles were also spotted.
“In fact, not a single night in recent weeks has passed without Russian strikes on Ukraine” and most of the targets are infrastructure, Zelenskyy said on X after arriving in Washington ahead of his meeting with Trump.
Zelenskyy said Russia will be forced to stop the war only when it is no longer able to continue it, and the way Russia can show its true readiness for peace lies not in words but in ceasing the strikes and killings.
“Therefore, every air defense system for Ukraine matters,” he said. “Every decision that can strengthen us brings the end of the war closer. Security can be guaranteed if everything we have agreed on, including here in Washington, is implemented.”
The talks between Trump and Zelenskyy are expected to include discussions on Ukraine's air defenses and long-range strike capabilities, including the possibility that the US could provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.
Trump made a surprise announcement earlier on October 16 that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had spoken by phone and agreed to meet in Budapest.
Trump said on social media that there would be a meeting of high-level advisers next week before he and Putin sat down "to see if we can bring this 'inglorious' War, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end."
The US delegation will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said. The location for the meeting has yet to be determined.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he expects his meeting with Putin will take place "within two weeks" and will be hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has maintained cordial relations with Russia while questioning sending military aid to Ukraine.
"The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world," Orban said on X . "We are ready!"
Both the Kremlin and the White House praised the phone call between Trump and Putin, calling it "good" and "productive."
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov said the conversation was "extremely frank and trustful," adding that details would be discussed during a phone call between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days.
Ushakov said Putin told Trump that supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield but would harm peace efforts and damage ties between Russia and the United States.
Here Is What Tomahawk Missiles Could Do For Ukraine
Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram after arriving in Washington that it appeared that Russia was keen to resume dialogue given the possibility of the US sending Tomahawk missiles.
“We can already see that Moscow is rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks," he said on X .
Trump and Zelenskyy spoke twice over the weekend amid intensifying discussions about a potential US decision to provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Trump has not ruled out doing so, but on October 16 said the United States can't "deplete" its own Tomahawk stocks.
The weapons have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers – long enough to reach Moscow from Ukraine -- and can be equipped with nuclear warheads. Trump described them as a "vicious, offensive, and incredibly destructive weapon," adding, "Nobody wants Tomahawks shot at them."
Trump said he mentioned Tomahawks to Putin during their call, and the Russian leader "didn’t like the idea."
