Trump in tense meeting with Zelensky as pair clash over Putin’s intentions and Ukraine demands Tomahawk missiles

Ukrainian President Zelensky sharply rebuked Donald Trump’s assessment of the war in Ukraine on Friday, insisting that Vladimir “Putin does not want peace” as the American president continued to express confidence that a decision was on the horizon.

‘We want peace, Putin does not want peace. That’s why we need pressure on him,’ said Zelensky, emphasizing Kiev’s call for stronger US support.

At the same meeting, Trump said he believed Putin wanted to end the war.

“I think President Putin wants to end the war, otherwise he wouldn’t be talking like that,” Trump said.

In questions to reporters later, Trump said he was worried about Putin being tricked.

“All my life I’ve been played by the best of them,” Trump said, a sign of his continued silence on Putin after a lengthy meeting with the Russian leader on Thursday.

Zelensky begins the part of his speech celebrating Trump’s success in the Middle East by saying that the momentum for peace in Europe is strong and Russia’s defense forces are losing strength.

‘I believe that with your help we can stop this war. “We see that they are not successful on the battlefield, they are weaker now,” Zelensky said.

New poll from Daily Mail/JL Partners shows domestic voters give Trump credit for Middle East peace. When asked which president had done the most for the Middle East, Trump received more votes than his predecessors in the White House combined.

Reporters stated that President Trump was ‘sticking his neck out’ in these wars and questioned what concessions the Ukrainian president might be willing to make. Zelensky responded that ‘they will have to sit down and talk first’ before any decision is made.

Another question was directed at Trump, asking who he believed did a better job negotiating: Putin or Zelensky. He said both leaders were “doing a great job” but emphasized that they “need to take some of their hatred for each other out of the equation.” He added that he had spoken to Putin and believed he wanted to ‘get this over with’.

Zelensky called for a ceasefire and stated that he was open to negotiations in any format (bilateral or trilateral), but emphasized the need for “strong security guarantees” and suggested that a bilateral US-Ukraine defense agreement could be a viable alternative while NATO membership remains a goal.

Trump acknowledged the difficulty of sustaining large-scale military aid to Ukraine and expressed caution in providing Tomahawk missiles, citing the need to maintain U.S. military readiness. ‘We need tomahawks. “One reason we want this war to end is that it is not easy for us to continue sending huge weapons,” he said.

Zelensky proposed a mutual production and capabilities-sharing agreement: U.S. missiles for Ukrainian drones, as a way to strengthen both countries’ defense industries.

Trump hinted at a potential peace summit featuring Zelensky and Putin, possibly hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He acknowledged the personal hostility between the two wartime leaders, but expressed confidence that diplomacy could prevail, citing his experience in brokering previous international agreements.

The two world leaders stood shoulder to shoulder for the first time for a photo opportunity on Friday afternoon, while journalists asked questions upon arrival.

Journalists ask Trump and Zelensky whether they are ready to negotiate with Putin, whether the Russian President will negotiate in good faith, and also ask about tomahawks. No questions were answered upon arrival.

After all, this high-stakes meeting took place just one day after Trump agreed to a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin (expected to take place in Hungary), and the White House was also pandering to Putin.

“President Putin congratulated President Trump on resolving the conflict in Israel and Gaza and restoring peace to the Middle East,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday.

Trump said after the meeting that he was more convinced that Putin was ready to make peace.

‘It seems to me, that’s how I feel,’ the President said. ‘That’s all I’ve done my whole life, I’ve made deals, I know deals, I do it well.’

Trump also said, “Frankly, I don’t think any president has ever ended a war.”

In a post published Thursday night, Zelensky made clear that he doubts Putin is actually ready to come to the negotiating table.

“Nothing has changed for Russia; life in Ukraine is still being terrorized,” Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader continued: ‘Russia will have to stop the war when it can no longer continue the war.’ ‘And Russia’s real readiness for peace lies not in words – Putin has never been short on that – but in actually stopping strikes and killings, and that’s exactly where it has a problem.’

Trump has been in contact with Putin throughout his second term and met him face-to-face in Alaska in August, but the Russian leader has not slowed his attack on Ukrainian territory.

The president said he still viewed the Alaska meeting positively, even though the United States left the meeting without a concrete peace deal and Putin could herald the visit as his return to the world stage after being turned into a pariah since the February 2022 invasion.

“I think Alaska actually set a stage, and it wasn’t that long ago, but it set a stage,” Trump said Thursday.

Ukrainian President Zelensky sharply rebuked Donald Trump’s assessment of the war in Ukraine on Friday, insisting Vladimir “Putin does not want peace” as the American president continues to express confidence that a decision is on the horizon

Trump has been in contact with Putin throughout his second term and met him face-to-face in Alaska in August, but the Russian leader has not slowed his attack on Ukrainian territory

A Ukrainian soldier stands among rubble in the courtyard of destroyed residential buildings in the front-line town of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region on October 12.

Before his meeting with Putin this week, Trump appeared furious with the Russian leader, often complaining that he thought the Ukraine war—thanks to his good relationship with Putin—was the easiest to end, rather than the hardest.

Trump also noted that First Lady Melania Trump opened her eyes to Russia’s constant bombing and killing of civilians after friendly phone calls with Putin.

Zelensky is expected to ask Trump for long-range Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv; These missiles could make Russia more willing to make peace.

Washington was hesitant to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles such as the Tomahawk, out of concern that such a step could escalate the war and deepen tensions between the United States and Russia.

But War Secretary Pete Hegseth said in Brussels on Wednesday that Washington would ‘take the necessary steps to make Russia pay for its continued aggression’ if Russia does not back down on its objections and refuses to negotiate a peace agreement.

The president revealed to Zelensky during their meeting on Thursday that he had made fun of giving the Tomahawks to Putin.

‘I actually said: ‘Do you mind if I give your opposition a few thousand tomahawks?’ I told him this. That’s exactly how I said it. “Trump didn’t like the idea,” he said. ‘Sometimes you need to be a little cheerful.’

Relations between Trump and Zelensky have warmed since a viral spat in the Oval Office, where the president is based, in late February. He told his Ukrainian counterpart:You don’t have any cards.”

Zelensky is expected to ask Trump for long-range Tomahawk missiles for Kyiv; These missiles could make Russia more willing to make peace.

But it appears Trump may wait until his second face-to-face meeting with Putin before giving the green light to the Tomahawks, which he has described as ‘evil’, ‘offensive’ and ‘incredibly destructive’.

The President said the second Putin summit will be hosted by his political ally, Hungarian President Victor Orban, and will take place soon.

Putin has not yet committed to a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky.

‘So we have a problem. “These two don’t get along very well and sometimes it’s hard to meet,” Trump said. ‘So we can do something where we’re separate but separate but equal,’ the president said.

“This is a terrible relationship these two have,” Trump said.