“Zelensky Scolded with Harsh Language…Denied Tomahawk Request”
Position Changed After Call with Putin from ‘Strong Support for Ukraine’, ‘[Edaily Reporter Im Yu-kyung] There are reports suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during their meeting on the 17th (local time), to accept Russia’s conditions for ending the war, such as territory exchange. Speculation suggests that a call with President Vladimir Putin the day before the meeting influenced Trump’s sudden shift from expressing full support for Ukraine to altering his stance.’,
, “Trump Scolds Zelensky Tossing Map with Frontlines Marked”,
, ‘On the 19th, the Financial Times (FT), citing sources, reported that during the meeting at the White House on the 17th, President Trump mentioned that the Russian economy is doing very well despite the three-year-long war, warning, “Ukraine will be doomed if it does not accept Russia’s demands.”’,
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, ‘This source told FT that “there was a lot of shouting during the meeting with President Trump scolding President Zelensky throughout, using harsh language.” It was also said that “Trump demanded Zelensky hand over the entire Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk) region to Russia while tossing a map with the Ukrainian frontlines marked on it.”’,
, ‘Reuters also reported, citing multiple officials briefed on the meeting, that President Trump pressured Zelensky to cede some territories to Russia. According to officials, Trump brought up an earlier proposal for a territorial exchange, emphasized the necessity of a swift agreement, and suggested an immediate cease-fire on the current front as Zelensky stated he could not voluntarily cede territory to Russia. Trump later told reporters at the White House, “I support freezing the current front.”’,
, ‘Ukraine is firm in its stance against any territorial exchange. In a video address on the 19th, President Zelensky said, “We will not give anything to the aggressor.” He further stressed the need for decisive actions from the U.S., Europe, G20, and G7 countries to end the war.’,
, Is Trump Siding with Putin in Ukraine Peace Talks?,
, ‘Foreign media suggested that during this meeting, Trump showed a potential alignment with Putin’s demands. Previously, Trump appeared to be pressuring Russia and showed full support for Ukraine, but during this meeting, he seemed instead to pressure Ukraine.’,
, ‘Last month, after meeting President Zelensky at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump mentioned on his social media platform, Truth Social, that “Russia is in severe economic trouble” and that “Ukraine can regain all territory it lost to Russia.”’,
, ‘It is reported that during the meeting, Trump also refused Zelensky’s request for long-range cruise missiles, such as Tomahawks, which could strike Russian territory. This contrasts with comments from October 11, when Trump stated that if the war wasn’t resolved, he might send Tomahawks to Ukraine.’,
, ‘The call with President Putin the day before the meeting is identified as a possible reason behind Trump’s sudden policy change regarding the Ukraine war. During the call on the 16th, Putin suggested that if Ukraine relinquishes the eastern Donbas region, Russia could return parts of southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which Russia currently occupies. This proposal is somewhat more lenient compared to the conditions proposed at the U.S.-Russia Alaska talks in August, where Putin said conflict lines in other fronts would be frozen if Ukraine handed over Donbas.’,
, ‘The Washington Post (WP) highlighted the possibility that Trump might have been swayed by Putin’s rhetoric, considering Putin’s proven abilities on the international stage and his background as a former KGB agent skilled in flattery and rumor-mongering.’,
, ‘A meeting between Trump and Putin is also scheduled soon. After a call with Putin, Trump announced plans to meet him in Budapest, Hungary. The Russian side also confirmed that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are expected to have discussions in the coming days to prepare for the summit.’,
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