President Donald Trump has been actively trying to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has led to devastating casualties and a desolate landscape in many parts of eastern Ukraine.
Recently, Trump managed to negotiate a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and had meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
“They should just stay put where they are. Both sides could claim victory and let history figure the rest out!” he mentioned at one point during discussions.
It’s been reported that Trump and Zelenskyy’s talks were generally friendly, though some moments reportedly turned tense, resembling Zelenskyy’s earlier visit to the White House that had not gone well.
Zelenskyy saw this meeting as a chance to request long-range Tomahawk missiles, aiming to use them with drones for strikes on strategic locations within Russia. This could, he believed, shift the dynamics of the war in favor of Ukraine during future negotiations.
There was a prior mention of Zelenskyy discussing this with representatives from Raytheon, the missile’s manufacturer, hinting that Ukraine might exchange advanced drones with the U.S. for the missiles.
However, Trump appeared to be against the idea of providing such weapons, expressing strong opinions during the meeting. He reiterated the importance of negotiations for a prompt end to the conflict, emphasizing that escalating military support could complicate matters further.
On social media, Trump echoed that it was crucial to find an agreement, referencing, “Just as I suggested to President Putin, it’s time to cease the violence and reach a deal. Too much blood has already been shed.”
He added, “Let’s halt everything right where we are. Both sides should claim victory and just move on!”
A European official relayed that Trump highlighted the necessity for an agreement, expressing concerns about Putin’s potential intentions to further dominate Ukraine.
Nevertheless, accounts of the meeting vary. One EU diplomat remarked that it wasn’t as dire as some media narratives suggested, while other Republican experts described the meeting as more mediocre than catastrophic for Ukraine.
One of them qualified the discussions as suffering from “poor timing and overblown expectations.” And while there were rumors of heated exchanges, others claimed that Trump kept his language civil.
Interestingly, Trump reportedly remarked that the situation made him “sick,” and expressed confusion over the current territorial lines in Ukraine.
Currently, Russia holds about 20% of Ukraine, including significant regions like Donbass, which encompasses Luhansk and a large part of Donetsk.
An analysis by the Institute for War Studies suggested that it might take years for Russian forces to gain complete control over Donetsk.
Furthermore, two senior officials conveyed to the press that Putin conditioned any resolution of the war on Ukraine’s surrender of Donetsk, but Zelenskyy seemed unwilling to accept such terms.
After meeting Trump, Zelenskyy made it clear that Ukraine’s position remained firm and unchanged regarding territorial integrity.
While Trump is advocating for an urgent ending to the conflict — which he describes as a victory for rational thinking — Zelenskyy pointed out that Putin’s intentions appear to be full occupation.
“We won’t concede anything to the invaders,” he stated emphatically during a recent address.
In subsequent comments, Trump asserted, “Most of the land is already under Russian control. We might as well leave things as they are.”
It seems that after Trump’s dialogue with Zelenskyy, there are signs that the evolving situation may delay the prospect of peace, although some officials say Zelenskyy was not open to compromise following the talks.
