Zelenskyy to meet Trump in Washington on October 17 Aiming to secure major weapons support

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to meet on Friday, October 17, at the White House.

According to the U.S. congressional publication Roll Call, which tracks the American leader’s schedule, the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Washington time and will take place over a private dinner in an informal setting, closed to the press.

According to the schedule, President Trump is expected to depart for Florida shortly after the talks, at around 11 p.m.

Zelenskyy is hoping his meeting with Trump will result in firm commitments on new weapons supplies, particularly long-range Tomahawk missiles, according to his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Yermak told Axios that Ukraine needs “decisions that will change Putin’s attitude” and demonstrate that “with President Trump, it’s impossible to play games.” He said Zelenskyy and Trump held two productive phone calls last week that led to the invitation to Washington, adding that key military and strategic issues can only be discussed face to face.

Zelenskyy, who arrived in Washington on October 16, was reportedly surprised by Trump’s announcement that he had spoken with Vladimir Putin and planned to meet him soon in Hungary, one of the EU’s least Ukraine-friendly states.

Kyiv’s priority remains securing Tomahawk missiles, which Yermak described as potential “game changers” capable of striking Russian drone and missile factories deep inside Russia. He said Ukraine also wants broader approval to buy any necessary U.S. weapons without restrictions and emphasised the need for additional Patriot air defence systems.

However, U.S. and Ukrainian experts note that Washington may only be able to supply older Tomahawk models and has few Typhon launch systems available.

Putin warned Trump in their call that supplying Tomahawks would not alter the battlefield but would damage U.S.-Russia relations.

During his visit, Zelenskyy is also expected to meet U.S. defence and energy industry leaders as Ukraine seeks to bolster its air defences and protect its energy infrastructure.

Yermak said Zelenskyy told Trump that if he succeeds in ending the war in Ukraine, Ukrainians would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

By Aghakazim Guliyev