In a tense White House meeting, reports suggest that US President Donald Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to agree to Russian terms to resolve the ongoing conflict. Trump allegedly warned that if Zelenskyy refused, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to “destroy” Ukraine. The discussion between the leaders escalated into a heated exchange, with Trump reportedly using profanity and disregarding battlefield maps presented by the Ukrainian delegation.
Despite the Ukrainian delegation’s frontline maps illustrating their counteroffensive efforts, Trump insisted that Zelenskyy hand over the entire Donbas region to Russia. However, later on, Trump supported maintaining the current front lines as a temporary solution. This meeting followed Trump’s recent attempts to broker peace in the wake of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Ukrainian officials had sought approval for the delivery of Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, but Trump declined to authorize the supply. European officials briefed on the meeting revealed that Trump conveyed Putin’s view of the invasion as a “special operation” rather than a war. Trump was reported to have warned Zelenskyy about Putin’s intentions, stating, “If (Putin) wants it, he will destroy you.”
During the meeting, Trump expressed frustration with Ukraine’s military maps and questioned the validity of the front lines marked on them. He also contradicted his previous statements about Russia’s economic status, claiming that Moscow’s economy was flourishing. The White House and Zelenskyy’s office have not commented on these reports.
Putin’s latest proposal to Trump involved Ukraine giving up control of certain areas in Donbas in exchange for parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. This proposal marked a slight retreat from Putin’s previous demand for a more extensive territorial concession from Ukraine, which Ukrainian officials deemed unacceptable.
The meeting echoed a previous encounter in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for what they perceived as a lack of gratitude for US support. Three European officials familiar with the recent meeting disclosed that Trump spent considerable time lecturing Zelenskyy, endorsing Putin’s arguments, and pressuring Ukraine to accept the proposed deal.
Zelenskyy, in a statement, urged decisive action from the US, Europe, and G7 nations to bring an end to the conflict. Trump, in an interview with Fox News, expressed confidence in reaching a peace agreement, suggesting that Putin would gain something as a result. Trump and Putin agreed to convene a second summit regarding the Ukrainian conflict in the near future, potentially in Budapest, following their unfruitful meeting in Alaska in August.