Donald Trump's success in ending the war in Gaza could give him the impetus to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles to fight against Russia, as the Republican prepares for his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, a negotiations expert has told Newsweek.
The Ukrainian president is expected to further push Trump to provide the cruise missiles Kyiv has long called for when the pair meet at the White House.
Being flush with global praise over his Gaza deal could give momentum to Trump to allow “Ukraine to tip the balance of power in their favor” by providing the missiles, Alex Adamo, CEO of negotiating firm The Commercialiser, told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Trump has floated supplying Kyiv with the cruise missiles, whose 1,600-mile range could strike energy facilities deep inside Russia, sparking a Kremlin threat against an escalation in which it sees Washington playing a direct role in the war.
But the success of Trump’s Gaza deal (which led to the return of hostages held by Hamas) hangs over Friday’s meeting, with Zelensky posting on X how he hoped the momentum to curb war in the Middle East can end Russia’s aggression.
What To Know
Zelensky arrived in Washington on Thursday, a day ahead of talks with Trump scheduled for Friday in their sixth meeting since the U.S. president returned to office and their first face-to-face since the U.N. General Assembly on September 23.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Russia was carrying out increasingly brutal strikes against Ukraine before winter and called for his country’s air defenses to be reinforced.
Zelensky also said the prospect of getting Tomahawks was pushing the Kremlin towards dialogue, adding that Trump’s peace deal in Gaza to end the war between Israel and Hamas was “momentum” which could help to end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Adamo, from the Commercialiser, told Newsweek the confidence Trump has derived in bringing peace to the Middle East will influence negotiations at Russia’s disadvantage.
The Israel-Hamas deal has put Trump on a winning streak “and he will likely feel more confident in allowing Ukraine to tip the balance of power in their favor by using Tomahawk missiles,” Adamo said.
Jay Truesdale, a former U.S diplomat who has served in Ukraine and Russia, told Newsweek that Trump will look to build on his recent successful negotiations in the Middle East, which mark a defining moment of his second presidency.
However, he faces challenges in achieving the same outcome in Ukraine, due to a current lack of leverage to move Moscow off its maximalist objectives, said Truesdale.
But an agreement framework can be achieved if the U.S. and its partners significantly increase the war’s cost on the Russian economy and Putin’s power base, added Truesdale, CEO of Washington-based strategic advisory and risk intelligence firm, TD International (TDI).
Meanwhile, Luke Cooper, from the Ukraine program at LSE IDEAS, the think tank at the London School of Economics, told Newsweek there are practical problems that make it difficult for the U.S. to agree to providing Tomahawks. These include the availability of land-based launching devices and the complexity of their operation.
What People Are Saying
Alex Adamo, founder of the Commercialiser: “He (Trump) knows Russia responds to pressure and so far, he hesitated in applying it. The confidence he has derived in bringing peace to the Middle East will influence negotiations at Russia’s disadvantage.
Adamo added: “Trump will likely feel more confident in allowing Ukraine to tip the balance of power in their favor by using Tomahawk missiles.”
Jay Truesdale, TD International (TDI): “President Trump is looking to build on his recent successful negotiations in the Middle East, which (are) a defining moment of his second presidency. He faces challenges in achieving the same outcome in Ukraine, due to a current lack of leverage to move Moscow off its maximalist objectives."
What Happens Next
Zelensky and Trump are scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. and there will be anticipation over whether it will be followed by any major announcements about American arms to Kyiv.
The next act of high diplomacy will take place in Budapest where Trump will meet Vladimir Putin at a date yet to be set.
Cooper said this meeting might push Zelensky into damage limitation mode, as he tries “to mitigate the risk of a softening of the U.S. position towards Russia."
