U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 17, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a shift in assist towards Russia’s Vladimir Putin as he seems for a fast finish to the warfare in Ukraine, possible putting worry into Ukrainian officers.
Trump held a tense assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home on Friday, with the potential provide of U.S. long-range cruise missiles, Tomahawks, on the agenda.
Zelenskyy walked away from the assembly not solely empty-handed, however apparently upbraided by Trump, who stated Ukraine ought to settle for Russia’s phrases for ending the warfare — by handing over the whole japanese territory of Donbas, the epicenter of ongoing combating in Ukraine.
Talking to reporters this weekend, Trump stated for Donbas to be “lower the way in which it’s.”
“It is lower up proper now, I feel 78% of the land is already taken by Russia,” he stated on Air Pressure One on Sunday. “They need to cease proper now on the battle traces … Go dwelling, cease killing individuals and be accomplished.”
Within the assembly with Zelenskyy, Trump additionally warned the Ukrainian chief that Putin had instructed him — in a prolonged cellphone name on Thursday by which they agreed to carry in-person talks in Hungary — that Russia would “destroy” Ukraine if it didn’t comply with the demand.
The assembly between Trump and Zelenskyy descended right into a “shouting match,” the Monetary Instances reported, with Trump “cursing on a regular basis,” in response to unnamed individuals conversant in the matter cited by the FT.
In a Reality Social publish, Trump described the assembly as “very fascinating, and cordial,” however stated he had “strongly instructed” to each leaders that it was time to finish the warfare.
“Let each declare Victory, let Historical past resolve!” he stated within the publish Friday.
Zelenskyy placed on a courageous face, telling NBC Information’ “Meet the Press,” in an interview recorded Friday after the assembly with Trump, that “we’re not dropping this warfare, and Putin isn’t profitable.” He additionally remained optimistic regardless of leaving the White Home with out the Tomahawk missiles he was coveting.
“It is good that President Trump did not say ‘no,’ however for at the moment, did not say ‘sure,'” Zelenskyy instructed “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker within the interview, which aired Sunday.
He additionally stated he was prepared to hitch Putin and Trump’s upcoming summit in Budapest, which might happen within the subsequent few weeks. Whether or not Zelenskyy might be invited to Hungary stays to be seen, nevertheless.
In addition to declining to offer Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, which Trump had beforehand mooted in an obvious bid to deliver Russia to the negotiating desk, Trump additionally mused about giving safety ensures to each Kyiv and Moscow, Reuters reported, citing two sources conversant in the talks.
CNBC has contacted the White Home for additional remark and is awaiting a response.
US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) within the Cupboard Room of the White Home in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2025.
Tom Brenner | Afp | Getty Photographs
Is Trump able to strain Putin?
Shut followers of Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy relations worry the U.S. president is well swayed by the veteran Russian chief’s arguments over Ukraine. They are saying Trump doesn’t seem prepared or keen to exert extra strain on Putin, be it within the type of extra arms transfers to Kyiv, or extra financial restrictions on Russia.
“We preserve dismissing Donald Trump as sort of ‘All people’s Idiot’ as a result of he is so bombastic and says many issues a mile a minute, however he really is being very transactional in regards to the relationship,” Nina Khrushcheva, The New Faculty professor of worldwide affairs, instructed CNBC “Squawk Field” Friday.
“All people retains pulling him one aspect or one other, be it the Russian aspect or Ukrainian aspect. However he is not taking sides, and he is actually enjoying, curiously, each fingers.”
She famous that Trump nonetheless needs to win over Putin, however can also be maintaining him on a “tight leash,” demonstrated by his menace to provide Ukraine extra weapons.
“Thus far, I feel it’s working. He is not giving both aspect what they needed, however he retains going, and finally, doubtlessly, they could comply with some form of a peace settlement,” she stated.
Michael O’Hanlon, director of international coverage analysis on the Brookings Establishment, instructed CNBC that Putin is more likely to wait Trump out.
“I feel it could be simpler [for Trump] to mix the army menace with better financial strain, however we’ll see possibly that comes later,” he famous Friday.
O’Hanlon stated there have been a number of methods the U.S. might ramp up the strain on Moscow, together with one other U.S. assist bundle for Ukraine and a much bigger crackdown on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers facilitating shipments of Russian oil to avoid the oil worth cap and sanctions.
“We do not do a lot buying and selling with Russia, however, after all, different international locations do, and I feel it is time to speak to not simply India, but additionally China a few technique whereby they might take into account lowering their interplay, their financial interplay, and also you threaten secondary sanctions if you do not get that sort of assist,” he stated.
“So these are the completely different items. Not all of them need to occur at the very same minute, they usually can occur. They are often phased in, however I feel President Trump is somewhat too fixated on simply the Tomahawks, plus his private rapport with Putin, and I do not suppose that is going to be sufficient [to stop Russia].”
