Trump speaking with Putin on phone ahead of Friday’s meeting with Zelenskyy

President Trump said he was speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a “lengthy” phone call on Thursday.

The call was taking place a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy comes to the White House.

“The conversation is ongoing, a lengthy one, and I will report the contents, as will President Putin, at its conclusion,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.

Mr. Trump signaled last week that he was giving Russia a new ultimatum: Stop the war with Ukraine, or he’ll send Kyiv the Tomahawk missiles it requested.

“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so. I think I might speak to Russia about that. I told that to President Zelenskyy because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from his trip to the Middle East. “I may say look — if this war doesn’t get settled, I may send Tomahawks.” 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that any decision by the Trump administration to send Tomahawks to Ukraine would create a “serious escalation.”