US President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a day before meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "This conversation is ongoing, it's lengthy, and I will report on its contents, as will President Putin, eventually," Trump wrote on social media on Thursday.

Trump has expressed frustration with Putin over the Russian leader's refusal to halt fighting in Ukraine or meet directly with Zelenskiy for peace talks. Zelenskiy is expected to ask Trump for more advanced weaponry when they meet on Friday at the White House.

Trump has indicated in recent weeks that he wants to increase pressure on Putin to end the war, pushing US economic partners to halt purchases of Russian energy and hinting at the prospect of allowing Ukraine access to long-range Tomahawk missiles. The Tomahawk, one of the most advanced weapons in the American arsenal, would allow Kyiv's forces to strike deeper into Russian territory and would mark a major shift for a US president who has focused on achieving a ceasefire.

The US president previously indicated he would use Tomahawks as leverage in his conversations with Putin. "I might say, 'Look, if the war doesn't end, I might send them Tomahawks,'" Trump said.

The long-range retaliation against Russia offered to help Ukraine strengthen its position in any future negotiations. Putin has warned that supplying Tomahawks to Kyiv "would signal the beginning of a completely new chapter" in the war and in Russia's relationship with the US.

Putin's phone call and meeting with Zelenskiy on Friday followed a major victory for Trump after he helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of fighting. The Trump administration has now shifted its focus to Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.

Trump campaigned on ending Russia's war on his first day back in the White House, but despite several phone calls with Putin—and a summit in Alaska in August—that goal has proven elusive.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week that "the strong push generated by Anchorage in favor of the agreement has largely been exhausted."

Putin has shown no signs of compromising, instead continuing his offensive against Ukraine. His forces have targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent weeks with devastating effect as winter weather approaches, an attempt to demoralize the civilian population. More than half of Ukraine's domestic gas production was wiped out after a series of attacks in October.

In his meeting with Trump on Friday, Zelenskiy is expected to renew urgent appeals for air defense, long-range weapons, and assistance in procuring new energy supplies. At the same time, Zelenskiy is also expected to offer a drone manufacturing partnership and the use of the country's oil pipeline distribution network, aiming to keep the US leader on Ukraine's side. Trump and Zelenskiy clashed publicly during their Oval Office meeting in February, but relations between the two leaders have improved as the US president has shown greater irritation with Putin.

Zelenskiy's visit to the US will also include meetings with members of Congress and military officials. The Ukrainian leader said he also plans to meet with energy company executives at Trump's urging.

Trump has focused on fellow allies in recent weeks, demanding that they halt purchases of Russian energy entirely before he joins them in new sanctions against Moscow, a challenging prerequisite. Trump has also pushed allies to impose higher levies on China and India, two major buyers of Russian energy.

Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% to punish New Delhi for importing energy from Moscow. On Wednesday, Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to halt those energy purchases, although India's foreign ministry said it was unaware of the conversation. (alg)

Source: Bloomberg