Meeting Summary
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a tense meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump within the White House on Friday, according to reports. Former U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into agreeing to Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer of ceding the Donetsk region to Russia and bringing the ongoing war to a swift end, as reported by the Financial Times.
Trump, who had earlier claimed he would arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, seemed taken aback by Zelensky's strong stand during the dialogue. According to the report, Trump threatened Zelensky that Russia would be able to destroy Ukraine if he declined the offer.
Details of the Conversation
The Financial Times also said that Trump and Zelensky had a heated exchange, with the two presidents reportedly shouting at each other. Trump stressed throughout the meeting that the Russian economy remained strong and pressured Zelensky to give up the Donbas territory. He also mentioned battlefield maps shown to him by the Ukrainian side.
Trump earlier warned Zelensky that if Trump's offer was not accepted, Putin would act boorishly. There was no formal response given by the White House or Zelensky's government regarding the report.
Background of the Problem
According to the Washington Post, Trump had a long telephone conversation with Putin prior to meeting with Zelensky. The officials claimed that the call had affected the subsequent talks at the White House.
For almost eleven years, Russia's military has attempted to capture the Donetsk region through different operations. Even with continued fighting, Putin believes that the region ought to be under Russians' control.
Earlier Tensions between Trump and Zelensky
Previous this year, disagreements also emerged between Trump and Zelensky while negotiating a U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement. The two allegedly had a shouting match that resulted in a cancellation of a meeting and dinner that day, according to news agencies.
In the meeting, Trump pressed for a standing ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky said he was ready to continue peace talks but did not say he was ready for a ceasefire then.
After this, the two made the minerals deal. After the agreement, the US military equipment began flowing into Ukraine.
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