Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, sits prior to a gathering with President Donald Trump, from proper, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent within the Cupboard Room of the White Space, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday known as on Kyiv and Moscow to “prevent the place they’re” and finish their brutal battle following a long White Space assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump’s frustration with the battle has surfaced time and again within the 9 months since he returned to administrative center, however together with his newest feedback he edged again within the path of urgent Ukraine to surrender on retaking land it has misplaced to Russia.
“Sufficient blood has been shed, with belongings strains being outlined by way of Struggle and Guts,” Trump mentioned in a Reality Social put up now not lengthy after internet hosting Zelenskyy and his workforce for greater than two hours of talks. “They will have to prevent the place they’re. Let each declare Victory, let Historical past come to a decision!”
Later, quickly after arriving in Florida, the place he is spending the weekend, Trump recommended each side to “prevent the battle right away” and implied that Moscow stay territory it is taken from Kyiv.
“You cross by way of the combat line anyplace it’s — in a different way it is too sophisticated,” Trump instructed newshounds. “You prevent on the combat line and each side will have to cross house, cross to their households, prevent the killing, and that are meant to be it.”
The feedback amounted to every other shift in place at the battle by way of Trump. In fresh weeks, he had proven rising impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed better openness to serving to Ukraine win the battle.
After assembly with Zelenskyy in New York at the sidelines of the once a year U.N. Normal Meeting closing month, Trump even mentioned he believed the Ukrainians may win again the entire the territory that they had misplaced to Russia since Putin introduced the February 2022 invasion. That was once a dramatic shift for Trump, who had up to now insisted that Kyiv must concede land misplaced to Russia to finish the battle.
Zelenskyy after Friday’s assembly mentioned it was once time for a ceasefire and negotiations. He sidestepped immediately answering a query about Trump nudging Ukraine to surrender land.
“The president is true we need to prevent the place we’re, after which to talk,” Zelenskyy mentioned when requested by way of newshounds about Trump’s social media put up, which he hadn’t noticed.
Every other alternate in tone
Trump’s tone at the battle shifted after he held a long telephone name with Putin on Thursday and introduced that he deliberate to fulfill with the Russian chief in Budapest, Hungary, within the coming weeks.
President Donald Trump, 2nd proper, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seated left, take a seat as newshounds ask questions prior to a lunch within the Cupboard Room of the White Space, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington.
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The president additionally signaled to Zelenskyy on Friday that he is leaning towards promoting him long-range Tomahawk missiles, weaponry that the Ukrainians imagine generally is a recreation changer in serving to prod Putin to the negotiating desk.
Zelenskyy firstly of the White Space talks mentioned he had a “proposition” through which Ukraine may give you the United States with its complex drones, whilst Washington would promote Kyiv the Tomahawk cruise missiles.
However Trump mentioned he was once hesitant to faucet into the U.S. provide, a turnabout after days of suggesting he was once significantly weighing sending the missiles to assist Ukraine beat again Russia’s invasion.
“I’ve a duty additionally to make certain that we are totally stocked up as a rustic, since you by no means know what is going to occur in battle and peace,” Trump mentioned. “We might a lot fairly have them now not want Tomahawks. We might a lot fairly have the battle be over to be truthful.”
In an interview with Kristen Welker of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy prompt the door was once now not closed.
“It is just right that President Trump did not say ‘no,’ however for lately, did not say ‘sure,'” he mentioned.
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned “we’d like Tomahawks” as a result of “it is very tough simply to function handiest with Ukrainian drones.”
Trump’s newest rhetoric on Tomahawks was once indisputably disappointing to the Ukrainians. In fresh days, Trump had proven an openness to promoting Ukraine the Tomahawks, at the same time as Putin warned that the sort of transfer would additional pressure the U.S.-Russian dating.
Why Tomahawks?
However following Thursday’s name with Putin, Trump started downplaying the potentialities of Ukraine getting the missiles, that have a spread of about 995 miles (1,600 kilometers.)
Zelenskyy have been in search of the Tomahawks, which might permit Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russian territory and goal key army websites, power amenities and significant infrastructure. Zelenskyy has argued that the possibility of such moves would assist compel Putin to take Trump’s requires direct negotiations to finish the battle extra significantly.
Putin warned Trump all through the decision that supplying Kyiv with the Tomahawks “would possibly not alternate the placement at the battlefield, however would motive considerable harm to the connection between our international locations,” in step with Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s international coverage adviser.
It was once the 5th face-to-face assembly for Trump and Zelenskyy for the reason that Republican returned to administrative center in January,
The president mentioned Friday it was once “to be decided” if Zelenskyy could be concerned within the upcoming talks in Hungary — suggesting a “double assembly” with the warring international locations’ leaders was once most probably probably the most workable possibility for productive negotiations.
“Those two leaders don’t like every different, and we need to make it at ease for everyone,” Trump added.
However Zelenskyy instructed newshounds that the animus towards Putin “isn’t about emotions.”
“They attacked us, so they’re an enemy for us. They do not intend to prevent,” Zelenskyy added. “So they’re an enemy. It’s not about any person simply hating any person else. Even if, indubitably, we hate the enemy. Definitely.”
Trump, going again to his 2024 marketing campaign, insisted he would temporarily finish the battle, however his peace efforts perceived to stall following a diplomatic blitz in August, when he held a summit with Putin in Alaska and a White Space assembly with Zelenskyy and Ecu allies.
Trump emerged from the ones conferences positive he was once on the right track to arranging direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin. However the Russian chief hasn’t proven any hobby in assembly with Zelenskyy and Moscow has handiest intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.
Requested Friday if he was once involved that Putin was once stringing him alongside, Trump said it was once a chance however mentioned he was once assured he may care for the Russian chief.
“I have been performed all my lifestyles by way of the most productive of them, and I got here out in point of fact neatly,” Trump mentioned. He added, “I believe I am beautiful just right at these items.”
