Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said U.S. talks about transferring Tomahawk cruise missiles helped push Vladimir Putin to accept a Budapest meeting with President Donald Trump, set for the next two weeks. Trump, set to see Zelenskyy in Washington on Friday, has floated sending Tomahawks but warned the U.S. stockpile is limited. U.S. and Ukrainian officials welcomed the Trump-Putin contact, while experts said Tomahawks are scarce yet impactful—and hampered by few ground launchers. As allies buy arms for Kyiv via the PURL mechanism, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toughened rhetoric, and officials said new sales hinge on Friday’s meeting.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.