All eyes were on Washington as Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met up to discuss the future of Ukraine a few days after an initial meeting with Putin – which did not go as planned
Donald Trump and president Volodymyr Zelenskyy shook hands outside the White House as the world looked on. Just a few days on from his unsuccessful meeting with Vladimir Putin, Trump has extended an invite to several European leaders to try and pace a way towards peace.
However, press heard a conflicting report during a conference – with Trump suggesting Ukraine and Russia might not need a ceasefire in order to achieve peace. The meeting also appeared far more civil than their previous in February.
Then, a shouting match erupted between the leaders, with Trump and vice president JD Vance accusing Zelenskyy of not showing enough respect. But this time the leaders did their best to stay calm.
To begin with, Zelenskyy thanked Trump for his invitation and for his “personal efforts” to stop the war. He extended thanks US First Lady Melania Trump for writing a letter to Vladimir Putin about the Ukrainian children Russia has abducted.
Zelenskyy handed over a letter and said: “It’s not to you, it’s to your wife”, with the leaders laughing.
A reporter asks Trump about his previous claim that Zelenskyy can end the war immediately if he wants. Trump still agrees, and added that Russia, Ukraine and the US will have a trilateral meeting where there will be a “good chance” of ending the war.
Trump seems optimistic, adding that he believes the war will end. However, he added that all the wars he’s stopped, he thought Russia and Ukraine would be “easy” but it hasn’t been. Of course, the president previously blamed the war on Joe Biden, but he said he’s not sure on the root cause.
As for an end to the fighting, Trump said: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire.”
The US president said “it might be good to have” but he says it may not be necessary for peace. He added that, “strategically”, one country or the other might not want a ceasefire.
This is a drastic change from his meeting with Putin, where he wanted a ceasefire “rapidly”. At the time, he even warned of tough economic sanctions if one was not reached.
Zelenskyy was not allowed to share his opinion, as Trump led the conversation. The US president noted that the security detail was not yet finalised, but: “we will give them very good protection, very good security”
As for Zelenskyy’s wants, he said he needs “everything” from the US. Weapons, intelligence and training included.
A reporter asked Trump what his message is to the Ukrainian people, and Trump said they’re “great people” who love their country.
He then quickly added: “I love the Russian people as well”.
In a closing statement, Trump said he will be speaking with Putin straight after, as he is expecting a phone call.
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