US President Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “make a deal” with Russia, signaling a shift in Washington’s stance on the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky met Trump at the White House on Friday, hoping to secure long-range US-made Tomahawk missiles. However, Trump declined to approve the request, saying both sides should instead end the fighting and reach an agreement.
“The talks were very interesting and cordial,” Trump said on social media after the meeting. “But I told him, as I did President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal. Let both claim victory, and let history decide.”
Trump later told reporters that Ukraine and Russia should “stop right now at the battle line,” adding that pushing beyond current positions would “get too complicated.”
Zelensky said Trump did not reject the missile request outright but noted that the US “doesn’t want escalation.” He described Russia as “afraid” of the Tomahawks and said he was “realistic” about the chances of getting them.
The Ukrainian president said he would be willing to trade “thousands” of Ukrainian drones for the long-range missiles, adding that he still hopes Trump can help bring peace to Ukraine as he did with his recent Gaza peace deal.
Trump’s comments followed a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two agreed to meet soon in Budapest. The Kremlin said “many questions” remained before the summit, including team composition, but confirmed it was preparing for the meeting.
Hungary said it would allow Putin to attend despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him.
Since returning to office, Trump’s position on the war has changed several times. He has alternated between criticizing Zelensky and expressing frustration with Putin, while maintaining open communication with Moscow.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and now controls about a fifth of the country. On Friday, Moscow claimed to have captured three more villages in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions.
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