US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept the demands of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a tense meeting at the White House on October 17, according to a report by the Financial Times.
“People familiar with the matter” told the newspaper that the discussion repeatedly escalated into heated arguments, with Trump reportedly swearing throughout.
Donald Trump References Vladimir Putin’s Threats
The report states that Trump conveyed a stark warning from Putin, telling Zelenskyy that if Ukraine refused the terms, “he will destroy you.” Report mentions that the president dismissed Ukrainian frontline maps and pressed Zelenskyy to hand over the entirety of Donetsk Oblast.
Although Zelenskyy managed to steer the discussion toward supporting a freeze along existing front lines.
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Donald Trump Denies Zelenskyy’s Weapons Requests
The meeting came amid renewed US efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. However, Trump reportedly refused Zelenskyy’s request for Tomahawk missiles, which Ukraine had hoped to secure during their Washington visit.
The encounter bore resemblance to a February 2025 meeting in which Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Zelenskyy for what they saw as a lack of gratitude toward the United States.
Donald Trump’s Ongoing Discussions With Putin
On October 16, Trump held a phone call with Putin, after which he announced plans for a summit in Budapest. According to The Washington Post, Putin demanded that Ukraine hand over Donetsk Oblast in full as a condition for ending the war, while offering to return parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts held by Russia in exchange.
Trump indicated that Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff would participate in the upcoming discussions with Russia.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary was ready to host the summit and had already begun preparations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting was planned but emphasized that “thorough preparation” was necessary. Preparatory talks were to be handled by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Zelenskyy Ready to Travel to Budapest
In an interview with NBC News published on October 19, Zelenskyy said he was prepared to travel to Budapest for the summit. He also suggested that Trump should exert more pressure on Putin than on Hamas and indicated that supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles could form part of that strategy.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
