Trump has rejected claims that he told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to surrender the entire Donbas region of Ukraine to Russia to bring an end to the war. Instead, he suggested that Ukraine should relinquish territory already under Russian control.
Amid reports of a heated “shouting match” during a recent White House meeting with Zelenskiy, Trump asserted that they “never discussed” abandoning the entire Donbas region during their private conversations last week.
When asked on Sunday if he had pressured Ukraine to accept cease-fire terms from President Vladimir Putin, Trump responded: “We have never discussed that.”
“What we think should happen is they should hold their position where they currently are. If you start saying, ‘You take this, we’ll take that,’ it complicates future negotiations. There are many factors to consider,” he explained.
He emphasized the need to stop the conflict: “So, I’m saying they should pause at the front lines now. Go home, stop the fighting, and put an end to it.” When questioned about the fate of the Donbas region, Trump added, “Let it remain as it is. It’s already divided.”
“I think about 78% of that area is currently held by Russia. For now, it should remain that way. They can work out the details later,” he noted.
“But I reiterated, draw the line, stop, go home, and cease the violence.”
During the three-hour meeting, Trump reportedly criticized Zelenskiy, dismissed a proposed map of Ukraine’s front lines, and urged the country to concede some land to Russia, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
Moreover, Trump is said to have refused to supply Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, based on accounts from those familiar with the discussions.
The contentious meeting followed a phone call between Trump and Putin, with Trump agreeing to meet the Russian leader in Budapest soon. Recently, however, he appears to be growing more frustrated with Putin and is showing a willingness to assist Ukraine in its fight.
