WASHINGTON — After a long phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. The two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine and ways to end the fighting.
Trump told reporters his visit was “very interesting and cordial.” He also said he urged both heads of state to “stop the killing and make a deal.” The former president called for the war to end, saying “no more shooting, no more death, no more massive money spent.” He added that the war could have been avoided if he had been in office.
During the briefing, Trump shifted his tone about U.S. weapons for Ukraine. He said the U.S. needs Tomahawk cruise missiles for its own security, but he would prefer the war to end before Ukraine has to use them. “We need Tomahawks,” the president said, “and we need a lot of other things that we’ve been sending over the last four years.” Zelensky counter‑told Trump that Ukraine still needed Tomahawks. “Ukraine has thousands of our production drones, but we don’t have Tomahawks. That’s why we need them,” he said.
Both leaders disagreed about Putin’s plans. Trump said Putin wanted to end the war, while Zelensky insisted that “Putin doesn’t want” the conflict to end. Trump claimed progress had been made during his call on Thursday and announced he would meet Putin again in Budapest, Hungary. He also said a team led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet Russian officials next week to prepare for a second Trump‑Putin summit in three months.
The former president’s summit in Alaska last August finished without an agreement, but he has since taken a tougher stance on Russia. After the Gaza cease‑fire, Trump is refocusing on Ukraine. When asked if Putin was merely buying time, Trump said he had been “played by the best of them,” but he still felt he had come out well and would keep negotiating.
Not all U.S. lawmakers are happy with Trump’s approach. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump failed to deliver new support for Ukraine. He called the president’s strategy “weakness through appeasement” rather than a peace‑through‑strength approach.
The U.S. continues to send aid to Ukraine, but the demand for advanced weapons like Tomahawks persists. The conflict on the front line remains intense, with thousands of casualties each week, and the world watches as Washington seeks a diplomatic solution.
Source: ianslive
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