According to US media reports on October 20, President Trump severely reprimanded Ukraine President Zelensky in a fierce closed-door meeting at the White House on Friday, warning the leader that if President Putin wanted to, he would "destroy" Ukraine.
Information sources revealed that the three-hour conversation, which took place the day after Trump and Putin made a phone call, eventually evolved into a "heavy quarrel", and Trump "broke out the whole process".
Trump also dismissed a map of Ukraine's frontline, insisting Zelenskyy cede the Donbas region to Russia, sources said. A European official with knowledge of the meeting told the outlet that the president's remarks appeared to be exactly the same as many of Putin's arguments.
Trumply told Zelensky that Putin had told him that this bloody war in Ukraine was a “special operation, not even a war.”
The official revealed that Trump told Ukrainian leaders, “If [Putin] wants to, he will destroy you,” while also throwing the map of the battlefield aside.
The official said Trump subsequently said he was “bored” to see the frontline map. According to the official, Trump reproached, “This red line, I don’t even know where it is.
An official told the media that "Zelensky was very negative" after the brief talks. European leaders are "not optimistic about planning next steps, but remain pragmatic."
Zelensky’s main goal was to obtain a new type of tactical missile that could be launched remotely from Kiev and cover Russian territory targets.
But Trump later urged Russia and Ukraine to end the three-year, eight-month war along the current front.
It is said that shortly after the fierce talks, Trump posted on the social platform: "Enough blood has been shed, and the border line should be defined by war and courage. They should maintain the status quo. Let both sides claim victory and let history rule! Stop the crossfire, stop dying, and stop the huge unsustainable capital consumption."
Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine is ready to end the war, and I agree with the president’s view – yes, both sides must have a ceasefire,” he said, “but privately, it depends on Putin, because it’s not us who started the war.”
The Ukraine leader left the White House talks empty-handed, but insisted that Trump had not completely rejected the possibility of providing long-range missiles was a positive sign.