FT: “Trump Throws Map and Swears”… Demands Donbas Concession
Zelensky: “US and Europe Need Decisive Actions from G20 and G7”
In a report by the Financial Times on the 19th, it was highlighted that during the US-Ukraine summit held at the White House on the 17th (local time), President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russia’s conditions for ending the war. The meeting was described as extremely tense, with Trump reportedly shouting and swearing.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, discussions turned into a heated argument several times, with President Trump resorting to coarse language throughout. It was reported that Trump threw a map of Ukraine’s frontlines while demanding that Zelensky “give the entire Donbas region to Putin,” repeating almost verbatim what he had heard from Russian representatives during a call with Putin the previous day.
Although Ukraine managed to convince Trump to revert to a stance on freezing the frontline, FT’s evaluation of the meeting suggested that it showcased how impulsively and capriciously Trump approaches war issues and how easily he could align with Putin’s maximalist demands.
The summit occurred after Trump had brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and set the end of the Russia-Ukraine war as a new goal. Zelensky requested support for long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which Trump declined.
Previously, Trump had commented that if Putin refused to negotiate, the U.S. might send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which shifted focus to whether there would be support for the missiles in this summit.
According to European diplomatic sources, Trump almost directly quoted Putin’s claims during the meeting, showing contradictions to his previous remarks about Russia’s weaknesses. A European official revealed that Trump told Zelensky, “If you don’t agree, you will be destroyed. If Putin wants, he will destroy you.”
In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Trump claimed confidence in ending the war, saying, “Putin will eventually get something and has already taken parts.”
FT reported that Putin, during a call with Trump on the 16th, proposed a new option: in exchange for Ukraine handing over the eastern Donbas region, currently under its control, Russia would concede small sections of the southern front lines (Kherson and Zaporizhzhia).
Ukraine firmly maintains that yielding the Donbas is “absolutely unacceptable.” Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, stated, “Giving Donbas to Russia without a fight is unacceptable to the public,” and criticized Putin’s attempts to foster internal division in Ukraine.
FT noted that reports of Trump mimicking Putin’s logic have intensified concerns among European allies. While Trump’s recent grievances about Putin’s negotiation reluctance suggested a potential expansion of support for Ukraine, this summit has shattered those expectations.
Three European diplomatic officials familiar with the White House meeting expressed that Trump consistently cornered Zelensky, repeating Putin’s rhetoric, and pressured him to accept Russia’s proposal. One official remarked that Zelensky’s response post-meeting was extremely negative, adding that European leaders are no longer optimistic and are pragmatically preparing for the next steps.
In a statement, President Zelensky emphasized, “Resolute actions are needed from major countries like the US, Europe, G20, and G7 to end the war.”