‘Accept Putin’s Terms Or Russia Will Crush You’: Trump Warns Zelensky, Hurls Ukraine’s Map During Heated White House Meeting

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Washington: In a stormy, closed-door meeting at the White House on Friday, US President Donald Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russia’s conditions and end the war. He warned that if Ukraine refused, President Vladimir Putin would “destroy” the country. The Financial Times reported the explosive exchange on Sunday, describing the session as one of the tensest between the two leaders since the invasion began.

Trump, as per the report, urged Zelensky to hand over the entire eastern Donbas region to Moscow. The conversation grew heated. The US president raised his voice, hurled profanities and at one point flung maps of Ukraine’s front lines across the table.

The clash came a day after Trump spoke by phone with Putin, who asked that Ukraine formally surrender Donbas. In return, Putin reportedly promised to give back parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The Russian leader had earlier demanded all of Donbas, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in 2024.

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Quoting sources, the daily reported that Zelensky eventually persuaded Trump to back a ceasefire along the current battle lines.

The Ukrainian president was in Washington seeking weapons. He wanted Tomahawk missiles to keep fighting. But Trump was focussed on pushing a peace deal. The president said he wanted a solution where Ukraine would not need Tomahawks at all.

Zelensky tried to strike a deal. He offered thousands of drones made in Ukraine in exchange for the long-range missiles. Trump appeared open to the idea but warned that giving Kyiv such weapons could worsen tensions between Washington and Moscow.

President Trump on Monday clarified his stance on the ongoing conflict, stating that Ukraine “could still win it” but adding his doubt to the possibility, emphasising the unpredictable nature of conflict.

Responding to a question referencing his earlier remarks at the United Nations, where he stated that Ukraine “could possibly win the war”, Trump said, “Well, they could. They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it.”

He clarified his earlier remark at the United Nations, stating that “I never said that they would win it. I said they could win it. Anything can happen. You know, war is a very strange thing.”

Trump’s remarks came during his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Oval Office, where both leaders signed a multi-billion dollar agreement on critical minerals and defence cooperation.

During the press session before the meeting, Trump repeated his old claim that he alone could end the war. “I can make peace between Zelensky and Putin,” he said, hinting that he would meet both leaders separately during a summit in Budapest in the coming weeks. “They don’t like each other at all. That’s why I will fix this,” he added.

Trump described himself as a mediator. He said he would hold a “double meeting” in Budapest, one with Putin, one with Zelensky, but not a joint session.

When asked about supplying Tomahawks, he said, “We build our own weapons. We make our own drones. But Ukraine makes very good ones too.”

He admitted that long-range arms could escalate the conflict but did not rule out future discussions.

Trump praised Zelensky’s resilience. “He has been through a lot,” he said.

When asked if Ukraine must give up land for peace, the US president dodged. “War is complicated. You know everything and still know nothing,” he said.

Trump’s position on Ukraine has shifted several times. Before meeting Putin in August, he said swapping land might be necessary for peace. A month later, he said Ukraine could reclaim all Russian-held territory.

The fiery White House meeting laid bare the divisions at the heart of Trump’s approach, a president pressing for a deal on Moscow’s terms and a war-weary ally still pleading for the arms to fight back.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has urged Trump to adopt a tougher stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating he was ready to attend the upcoming summit in Budapest, Hungary.

In an interview with NBC News, he said the US president needed to exert even greater pressure on Putin than he had during his recent success in securing a ceasefire with Hamas. “Putin is something similar but stronger than Hamas,” he said, adding, “and that’s why more pressure” is needed.

He highlighted the war’s larger scale and Russia’s position as the world’s second-largest army.

Zelenskyy hoped that this pressure would include the delivery of long-range US Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.

While Trump had raised the possibility of providing Tomahawks to Ukraine, he appeared to temper expectations following his meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House, which came a day after a phone call with Putin.

“It was good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no’, but for today, didn’t say ‘yes’,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump announced that he would meet with Putin in Budapest for a second round of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, who labelled Putin a “terrorist”, nevertheless reiterated his willingness for direct dialogue.

“If we really want to have just and lasting peace, we need both sides of this tragedy,” he said. “How can there be some deals without us about us?” Zelenskyy confirmed he had told Trump, “I am ready,” when asked about attending the Budapest summit.

However, no date has been finalised for the summit, which is expected to be held in the Hungarian capital in the coming weeks, Al Jazeera reported.

Trump has continued to push for an end to the war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News

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