Media: Trump urges Zelensky to accept Russia's conditions to end the war
The Financial Times reported on Sunday that U.S. President Trump strongly urged Ukrainian President Zelensky to accept Russia's conditions for ending the war during a White House meeting on Friday, and warned that if no agreement was reached, Russian President Putin would "destroy" Ukraine.
In the first half of the live-streamed meeting with journalists present, the atmosphere remained amicable, but the report stated that the atmosphere later turned intense and contentious, with multiple heated arguments between Trump and Zelensky, even described as "constant shouting."
According to sources, Trump's stance on the Ukrainian war was extremely firm, even throwing aside the battlefield map of Ukraine and insisting that Zelensky hand over the entire Donbas region to Russia. Trump repeatedly reiterated Putin's position from previous calls and strongly supported Russia's demands. This intense meeting showed Trump's fluctuating position on the war and his willingness to support Putin's demands.
Zelensky said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" program that Trump needed to apply "more pressure" on Russia, saying "Putin is similar to Hamas, but more powerful than Hamas." Zelensky compared the Ukrainian war to the Gaza war. He also added that this war is larger in scale, and Russia's army is the second largest in the world, "so more pressure is needed."
This interview was recorded after the meeting on Friday and was broadcast on Sunday.
The main purpose of Zelensky's visit was to persuade Trump to provide long-range "Tomahawk" cruise missiles to help Ukraine strengthen its military capabilities against Russia. However, Trump ultimately did not agree to this request and expressed hesitation about providing such weapons. Trump said during the meeting that the United States must ensure its arsenal remains sufficient in case of emergencies and emphasized the hope that the war would end as soon as possible rather than providing more military aid.
Senator Banks, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Republican senator, expressed support for Trump on Sunday, emphasizing that only Trump could achieve lasting peace on the issue of Ukraine. Banks said on the American "Fox News" program that Trump is the only one who can achieve peace through negotiations and end the war in Ukraine, and he is working towards this direction.
"He is taking necessary measures to end the war, which will take some time, but he has already started," Banks said.
Banks had previously voted against providing $6 billion in aid to Ukraine last year.
On the other hand, after the meeting on Friday, Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Shaheen, issued a statement expressing disappointment with Trump's attitude.
Shaheen strongly criticized Trump for not applying enough pressure on Putin and pointed out that Zelensky should not return empty-handed when Putin intensified attacks on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure.
Shaheen called on Trump to increase sanctions against Russia and provide more military assistance to Ukraine, especially defensive weapons such as long-range missiles, to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846472487392266/
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