7 months ago
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his reportedly tense gathering with U.S. President Donald Trump past week was “positive,” adjacent though helium did not unafraid Tomahawk missiles for the combat against Russia.
In comments to journalists connected Sunday (October 20, 2025) and embargoed until Monday (October 21) morning, Mr. Zelenskyy asserted that Mr. Trump reneged connected the anticipation of sending the long-range missiles to Ukraine aft speaking by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin hours earlier Friday's meeting.
Mr. Trump connected Friday called connected Kyiv and Moscow to “stop wherever they are” and extremity the war.
“In my opinion, helium does not privation an escalation with the Russians until helium meets with them,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
According to Mr. Zelenskyy, Mr. Trump said during their gathering that Mr. Putin's maximalist request — that Ukraine cede the entirety of its eastbound Donetsk and Luhansk regions — was unchanged.
Mr. Zelenskyy expressed skepticism astir Mr. Putin's connection to swap immoderate territory it holds successful Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions if Ukraine surrenders Donetsk and Luhansk, saying the connection was unclear.
Ukraine's person said Mr. Trump yet supported a frost on the existent beforehand line.
“We stock President Trump's affirmative outlook if it leads to the extremity of the war,” Mr. Zelenskyy said, citing “many rounds of treatment implicit much than 2 hours with him and his team.” Mr. Zelenskyy was diplomatic astir his gathering with Mr. Trump contempt reports that helium faced unit to judge Putin's demands. The gathering followed the disastrous Oval Office spat connected Feb. 28 erstwhile the Ukrainian president was scolded connected unrecorded tv for not being grateful for continued US support.
Later connected Monday, Mr. Trump told reporters that Ukraine could inactive triumph the war. “I don't deliberation they will. They could inactive triumph it. I ne'er said they would triumph it,” helium said. “Anything tin happen, you cognize warfare is simply a precise unusual thing.” Mr. Zelenskyy said helium hopes that Trump's gathering successful the coming weeks with Putin successful Hungary — which does not enactment Ukraine — volition pave the mode for a bid deal. Their archetypal acme of Trump's existent word was successful Alaska successful August.
Mr. Zelenskyy said helium has not been invited to be but would see it if the format for talks were just to Kyiv.
He besides took a stab astatine Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying helium does not judge that a premier curate “who blocks Ukraine everyplace tin bash thing affirmative for Ukrainians oregon adjacent supply a balanced contribution.” Mr. Zelenskyy said helium thinks that each parties person “moved closer” to a imaginable extremity to the war.
“That doesn't mean it volition decidedly end, but President Trump has achieved a batch successful the Middle East, and riding that question helium wants to extremity Russia's warfare against Ukraine,” helium added.
Ukraine is hoping to acquisition 25 Patriot aerial defence systems from US firms utilizing frozen Russian assets and assistance from partners, but Mr. Zelenskyy said procuring each would necessitate clip due to the fact that of agelong accumulation waits. He said helium spoke to Mr. Trump astir assistance procuring them much quickly, perchance from European partners.
Mr. Zelenskyy said the United States is funny successful bilateral state projects with Ukraine, including the operation of an LNG terminal successful the confederate larboard metropolis of Odesa. Other projects of involvement see those related to atomic vigor and oil.
