It seems Donald Trump has taken a surprising turn in his stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict following what insiders describe as a tense and emotional meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Reports suggest that the Friday meeting “descended into a shouting match,” highlighting deep disagreements between both leaders.
Just a few weeks ago, Trump had expressed strong confidence in Ukraine’s ability to reclaim all of its territory. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, he posted on Truth Social that Ukraine, with the backing of the European Union, could “fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form.”
However, in a surprising reversal, Trump recently told reporters that although Ukraine could still defeat Russia, he doesn’t believe it will. This shift comes after his reportedly “productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and before an expected second meeting in Budapest, where U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is said to be coordinating talks with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Only last month, Trump mocked Russia as a “paper tiger,” criticizing its prolonged military campaign. “Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a war that a real military power could have won in a week,” he wrote. But when pressed on his apparent change of heart this week, Trump responded, “They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could. Anything can happen in war good or bad.”
According to European officials quoted by the Financial Times, the meeting with Zelensky was intense. Trump allegedly “threw away maps of the front line” during discussions, and at one point, tempers flared. Reports claim that Putin, during his earlier call with Trump, proposed a controversial land swap offering Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in exchange for control over Donetsk.
Zelensky, however, strongly rejected any idea of surrendering territory, reportedly convincing Trump to push instead for a ceasefire based on current front lines rather than additional concessions. After the meeting, Zelensky reaffirmed his position publicly, stating:
“Ukraine will never reward terrorists for their crimes. We count on our partners to support this position.”
Trump’s recent statements suggest a growing divide between his diplomatic approach and Ukraine’s determination to continue fighting for full sovereignty. The incident has sparked debate in Washington and across Europe about whether the U.S. is shifting toward a more cautious or even conciliatory stance on the war.
Comments
Post a Comment