Overview

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left the White House without approval for U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles, which Trump called escalatory and said the U.S. needs for its own defense, though he did not rule them out later.
• Trump publicly urged Ukraine and Russia to "stop where they are" and freeze battle lines, saying he conveyed the same message to Vladimir Putin after their phone call the previous day.
• The leaders are preparing for a Trump–Putin meeting in Budapest, with adviser-level talks expected to begin to lay the groundwork for potential ceasefire discussions.
• Zelensky proposed a drone-for-missile swap and said both sides agreed not to discuss long-range systems publicly for now because Washington wants to avoid escalation.
• Fighting continues across Ukraine even as the IAEA reported a limited local ceasefire near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to enable repairs to power lines.