But Trump said such weapons could escalate the conflict and may not be necessary if he can reach a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Tomahawks are a big deal," Trump said. "Because you never know what's going to happen in war and peace, right? You never know what's going to happen."
The meeting came a day after Trump held a more than two-hour phone call with Putin and announced plans for a summit between the two leaders in Budapest, Hungary.
Zelensky said Ukraine wanted a peace deal with Russia, but Moscow did not. "We want this. Putin doesn't want it," he said.
He told reporters that Ukraine has thousands of drones ready for use against Russian targets but needs powerful American missiles.
“We don’t have Tomahawks; that’s why we need Tomahawks,” he said.
Trump responded: “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks.”
Zelensky’s visit aimed to secure additional weapons from the United States as Moscow's war drags on.
Trump, however, repeatedly pointed to his planned meeting with Putin, framing himself as a mediator in ending the conflict.
“I think President Zelensky wants it done, and I think President Putin wants it done. Now all they have to do is get along a little bit,” Trump told reporters.
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Source: CNN, TVP Info, IAR, PAP, Reuters