demands that he renounce Donbas or Ukraine will be “destroyed” by Putin

Donald Trump has once again taken another diplomatic turn in its quest to end the war in Ukraine. After showing rapprochement with kyiv in recent weeks, the American president not only did not satisfy the arms demands of the Ukrainian delegation that visited the White House on Friday, but he even urged his counterpart, Volodímir Zelenskia cede or divide the Donbas regionleaving most of it under Russian control.

At the end of the meeting, Trump publicly demanded that both sides freeze the front line as it is, a position that the Ukrainian president supported in a media appearance. The Republican president insisted this Sunday that Zelensky should cede territory to the invadersspecifically a good part of Donbas: “Let it be divided as it is. I think 78% of the territory is already occupied by Russia.”

The complete transfer of this eastern Ukrainian region is one of the main aspirations of Vladimir Putin and one of their demands to adhere to the ceasefire. Zelensky has repeated on numerous occasions that kyiv will not accept a modification of its borders.

Friday’s meeting at the White House had moments of tension, as the newspaper revealed this Sunday Financial Times. Trump not only refused to give Ukraine the coveted Tomahawk missiles, capable of hitting targets in Moscow, but he also reportedly threatened Zelensky by telling him that Putin will “destroy” his country if he does not bow to the demands of the Russian autocrat.

According to sources familiar with the details of the meeting, there was an “exchange of shouts” and the Republican president was “cursing constantly.” Trump would also have section with bad manners war front maps and would have urged Zelensky to hand over the entire Donbas region.

However, this point was denied by the Republican president on Sunday when asked by journalists, according to the agency. Reuters: leave it [el Donbás] how is it now. [Los dos bandos] “They can negotiate something later.”

Other anonymous sources cited by Reuters confirm that the meeting was “bad” for Ukrainian aspirations. “The message was: your country will freeze and be destroyed” if kyiv does not fold and reach an agreement with Moscow.

There had been signs in recent weeks that Trump was increasing his pressure on Putin and providing more support to the Ukrainians in trying to resolve the war.

After meeting Zelensky at the UN General Assembly in September, Trump speculated that Ukraine could regain all the territory it had lost to Russia, a possibility that even kyiv considers remote.

But the outcome of Friday’s meeting suggests that Trump could be putting pressure on Zelensky again to reach a deal as soon as possible, even if it is on terms unacceptable to kyiv. The administration of the American president views the exchange of territory favorably.

Sermon to Zelensky

Zelensky declared upon leaving the White House that both he and Trump agreed on the need to “reduce tensions” with Russia, although they did not rule out possible attacks either. The Ukrainian president explained that the dialogue focused on key issues such as “battlefield positions, long-range capabilities and air defense”, as well as “diplomatic perspectives.”

He also supported Trump’s position in Washington on the issue of weapons, although he did not rule out that they continue waiting for the possibility of having Tomahawks.

Behind closed doors, according to Financial Timesthe American president told his counterpart that he was losing the war and that he either “reach an agreement or expose himself to destruction.” “If (Putin) wants, he will destroy you,” a European source told the British newspaper.

Three other sources with information about the meeting confirmed that Trump spent much of the meeting “lecturing” Zelensky, “repeating Putin’s arguments about the conflict and urging him to accept the Russian proposal.”

Zelensky later expressed his disappointment and considered that European leaders are not “optimistic, but pragmatic when it comes to programming the next steps.”