(Washington) -- Sources familiar with the matter revealed that US President Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last Friday was heated. Trump demanded that Zelensky accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's ceasefire conditions, threatening the destruction of Ukraine. Although Trump ultimately agreed to support a ceasefire based on front lines, the meeting revealed his volatility and willingness to support Putin's extreme demands.
The Financial Times, citing sources, reported that Trump and Zelensky had several heated exchanges during their meeting on Friday (October 17), with Trump resorting to profanity. Trump reportedly even tossed aside a map of the Ukrainian front lines and demanded that Zelensky cede the entire Donbas region to Putin. Donbas, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in eastern Ukraine, is a hotly contested region between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump reportedly adopted many of Putin's statements verbatim during the meeting, such as repeating Putin's characterization of the war as a "special operation." Trump said Zelenskyy was losing the conflict and warned, "If (Putin) wants to, he will destroy you."
Trump also reportedly said the Russian economy was performing well, having just recently said it was "about to collapse."
Reuters also quoted sources as saying that Trump demanded Zelenskyy cede large tracts of territory to Russia and refused to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometers, leaving the Ukrainian delegation disappointed.
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Trump reportedly also suggested at the meeting that the United States might provide security guarantees to both Kyiv and Moscow, a remark that confused Ukraine.
However, Trump denied demanding Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region. In response to media questions after the meeting, he said, "Let's divide it as it is now. That territory is already divided. I think 78% of it is already occupied by Russia... They can negotiate later."
Trump called for a ceasefire based on the current battle lines. Zelensky also stated that Russia and Ukraine should first suspend fighting along the current battle lines before engaging in peace talks.
In an interview with NBC on Sunday (19th), Zelensky said, "If we want to stop the war and urgently engage in peace talks diplomatically, we must stick to our current positions and not give Putin anything extra."
Asked whether Trump should take a tougher stance on Putin after brokering the Gaza ceasefire, Zelensky said, "Yes, because Putin is similar to Hamas, but more powerful. This war is larger in scale, and he controls the second-largest army in the world, so more pressure must be applied."
The Washington Post, citing sources, reported that Putin insisted on Kyiv handing over the entire Donetsk Oblast during a phone call with Trump on Thursday (the 16th) as a condition for ending the war. Putin reportedly expressed his willingness to return parts of Zaporizhia and Kherson Oblasts in southern Ukraine in exchange for Donetsk Oblast in the east.
Reuters reported that the US proposed this land swap during Friday's talks, but Zelensky refused to cede any territory. Trump ultimately decided to pursue an agreement along the existing demarcation line.
The Financial Times reported that Zelensky's reaction after the meeting was very negative. European leaders were also not optimistic, but continued to plan their next steps pragmatically.
Trump and Putin plan to hold talks in Hungary within weeks. Zelensky said he would be willing to attend if invited, either through a three-way meeting or through "shuttle diplomacy" with Trump meeting with him and Putin separately. However, he questioned Russia's negotiating sincerity, saying he was "unsure if Putin is ready to end this war."
The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated on Monday (20th) that any peace agreement should address the root causes of the conflict to ensure long-term peace.
