Trump Pressures Zelenskyy to Accept Russian Terms Amid Tense White House Meeting

In a volatile meeting at the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Russia's terms for ending the ongoing conflict, warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to "destroy" Ukraine if an agreement was not reached. The discussion frequently escalated into heated exchanges, with Trump reportedly discarding maps of the Ukrainian frontline and insisting that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region to Russia. According to individuals familiar with the meeting, Trump echoed talking points from his recent conversation with Putin, suggesting a shift in his stance on the war. Despite the contentious nature of the meeting, Ukraine managed to steer Trump back to supporting a freeze of the current front lines. However, the encounter highlighted the unpredictable nature of Trump's position and his apparent willingness to consider Putin's demands. Zelenskyy had hoped to secure long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles from the U.S., but Trump declined the request. European officials briefed on the meeting noted that Trump appeared to adopt many of Putin's arguments verbatim, even when they contradicted his previous statements about Russia's weaknesses. One European official reported that Trump told Zelenskyy he was losing the war and warned, "If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you." The White House and the Ukrainian president's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement on Sunday, Zelenskyy called for decisive steps from the United States, Europe, the G20, and G7 countries to end the war.