A sudden phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday has thrown Kyiv’s plans into disarray. The two leaders agreed to meet soon to discuss the war in Ukraine, catching Ukrainian officials completely by surprise.
The timing was brutal. In just 24 hours, Russia unleashed dozens of missiles and more than 300 drones across Ukraine. The attacks once again targeted civilian infrastructure, damaging gas supplies as temperatures begin to fall. Power cuts now stretch across the country as energy facilities struggle to recover.
Moscow’s power play hides its weakness
For Ukraine’s leadership, these renewed assaults show Russia’s growing frustration. The frontlines remain locked in stalemate, with enormous losses for minor territorial changes. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian oil facilities are inflicting serious damage on Moscow’s economy.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had placed his hopes on his visit to Washington to secure fresh US military support. Before leaving Kyiv, he sounded confident. He even suggested that Trump was starting to view the conflict from Ukraine’s perspective—a stark contrast to their heated Oval Office meeting in February, when Trump accused him of “gambling with World War Three.”
The long-range Tomahawk gamble
After the failed Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and Russia’s intensifying attacks, Kyiv believed Trump was running out of patience with his “good friend” Putin. Zelensky’s team expected that Friday’s White House meeting could bring approval for long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Trump’s recent comments seemed to support that idea. “Do they want Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so,” he told reporters. But experts warn the missiles might take months to deploy because of logistical hurdles.
Even so, the Tomahawks would transform Ukraine’s military reach. They would allow Kyiv to strike deep inside Russian territory and signal a major shift in US policy.
A phone call mid-flight changes the tone
The two-and-a-half-hour Trump-Putin conversation took place while Zelensky was flying to Washington. The timing undercut his long-planned diplomatic push. Still, he tried to sound calm. Upon landing, he wrote that Russia was “rushing to renew dialogue” because of growing talk about Tomahawks.
Analysts saw something else at work. The Kremlin said the call took place at Moscow’s request. Putin warned Trump that supplying Tomahawks would be viewed as a dangerous provocation. The two leaders also discussed what Russia called “colossal prospects” for trade if peace could be reached.
They agreed to meet in Hungary within two weeks. Trump later described the conversation as “very productive.”
A harsh winter looms for Ukraine
As the war drags into a fourth winter, few Ukrainians believe Trump can bring peace. A woman injured in a Russian missile attack on a train carriage summed up the mood from her hospital bed: “A person like Putin can’t be trusted.”
After touching down in Washington, Zelensky met with defense industry leaders producing the weapons he says his country needs most. He still plans to ask for Tomahawks, but the chances now look slimmer than before the call.
The cycle of persuasion repeats
Every time Trump’s frustration with Putin builds, a single conversation seems to ease it. The Russian leader repeatedly manages to calm Trump, delaying tougher sanctions or stronger military support for Ukraine.
The planned Hungary summit, offered without conditions, doesn’t suggest any serious shift in Washington’s stance. For now, Ukraine’s hopes for long-range missiles are fading. Instead of a breakthrough, Zelensky faces a diplomatic setback—delivered not by artillery, but by a phone call.
