Trump consults Putin before Zelenskyy White House meeting

The President held a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16, 2025.

Officials said the call lasted about two and a half hours, though some reports gave different lengths.

The President posted on social media that the conversation was ongoing while the call continued.

During the call, President Putin warned that supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks would harm bilateral relations.

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters Putin said the missiles would not change the battlefield outcome.

Ushakov said Putin warned the weapons would damage prospects for a peaceful settlement between the countries.

Tomahawk cruise missiles can strike targets about 1,000 miles, roughly 1,600 km, from their launch points.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he would travel to 🌲Washington that week to seek long-range weapons.

He specifically named Tomahawks as an alternative to shorter-range systems to hit deep Russian military targets.

After the call, the President said he was reluctant to transfer large numbers of Tomahawks to Ukraine.

He told reporters the United States must retain enough missiles for its own defense and readiness needs.

At the White House meeting on Oct. 17, the President emphasized diplomacy and discussed pausing advances along current front lines.