U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to consider Russia’s terms for ending the ongoing conflict between both countries during a private White House meeting on Friday.
According to a report by the Financial Times, Trump warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to “destroy” Ukraine if a peace deal was not reached soon.
Sources familiar with the meeting said Trump’s comments closely mirrored talking points raised by Putin during a call the previous day.
The report suggests that Trump initially appeared to side with Moscow’s proposal before eventually shifting his stance, agreeing that the current frontlines should serve as the basis for a ceasefire.
Zelenskiy was quoted as saying that the suggestion to freeze the conflict along existing battle lines was “an important point” in the discussion.
The News Chronicle gathered that the Ukrainian delegation had arrived in Washington seeking further military assistance to sustain its defense against Russian aggression. However, they were reportedly met by an American president who appeared more focused on achieving a diplomatic breakthrough than providing additional arms support.
The Financial Times claims that Putin’s proposal entailed giving up limited sections of the southern frontal districts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in return for Ukraine’s control of larger regions in the Donbas area—a scaled-back version of Moscow’s earlier demands from 2024, when it sought the full annexation of Donbas, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Though neither the White House nor the Ukrainian administration has publicly reacted to the report, it represents a major change in attitude from Trump, who has always stressed his capacity to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine. Should these discussions move forward, analysts believe Trump’s rising interest in diplomacy could change U.S. participation in the war.
Simultaneously, Trump and Putin have allegedly agreed to meet again on the Ukraine crisis within two weeks. Following their first discussions in Alaska on August 15, which ended without any definite resolution, the meeting—provisionally set to take place in Budapest—comes next.
Should it be confirmed, the meetings raise worldwide issues regarding one of the most direct U.S. actions in Ukraine’s peace process since the full-scale conflict started. Possible consequences of Donald Trump’s mediation approach.
