Trump Urges Zelensky to ‘Make a Deal’ on Ukraine War

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.

Donald Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a peace deal with Russia, dimming Kyiv’s hopes of acquiring US-made Tomahawk missiles as the American leader renews his push to end the war through diplomacy.

Speaking after his meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday, Trump said he had delivered the same message to Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier — urging both sides to “stop the killing” and “make a deal.”

“Our talks were very interesting and cordial,” Trump said on social media. “But I told him, as I likewise strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing and make a DEAL! They should stop where they are, let both claim victory, and let history decide.”

While en route to Florida, Trump reiterated his stance to reporters, saying, “Ukraine and Russia should stop right now at the battle line. Go by the battle line wherever it is, or else it gets too complicated.”

Zelensky ‘realistic’ about Tomahawk request

Zelensky, meanwhile, described Russia as “afraid” of the long-range US-made Tomahawk missiles but admitted he was “realistic” about receiving them.

Speaking after the meeting, he said both leaders had discussed long-range weapons but agreed not to elaborate publicly. “We decided that we don’t speak about it because the United States doesn’t want escalation,” he noted.

Zelensky’s visit came after weeks of appeals for Tomahawk missiles, as Kyiv hoped to leverage Trump’s frustration with Moscow following an unsuccessful Alaska summit between US and Russian delegations.

However, Ukraine’s leader left Washington without a firm commitment. Trump instead signalled a renewed diplomatic approach following what he called a “major breakthrough” in last week’s Gaza peace agreement.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to get the war over with, without thinking about Tomahawks,” Trump told journalists. “I believe President Putin wants to end the war.”

Zelensky said he was prepared to offer “thousands” of Ukrainian drones in exchange for the Tomahawk missiles and congratulated Trump on his recent Middle East peace deal. “I hope President Trump can manage the same for Ukraine,” he said.

Putin-Trump summit plans in motion

Trump’s comments came a day after his two-and-a-half-hour call with Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to meet in Budapest for a new round of talks aimed at ending the conflict.

The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that “many questions” still needed to be resolved before the summit could take place, including the composition of the negotiating teams. Moscow dismissed speculation that Putin would face difficulties travelling to Europe despite an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes.

Hungary’s government has already announced that it would facilitate Putin’s entry for “successful talks” with the United States.

Trump’s shifting position on Ukraine

Since beginning his second term, Trump’s stance on the Ukraine war has fluctuated sharply. Early in his presidency, he appeared sympathetic to Putin and criticised Zelensky as a “dictator without elections.”

Relations between Trump and Zelensky reached a low point in February, when the US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of “not having the cards” during a heated televised Oval Office meeting.

However, tensions have since eased, with Trump growing increasingly frustrated with Putin’s intransigence while keeping a direct channel of communication open with Moscow.

Trump has frequently altered his position on sanctions and military aid to Ukraine, depending on his conversations with Putin.

Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a “special military operation” to demilitarise the country and block NATO’s eastward expansion.

Russia currently occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, much of it devastated by nearly four years of relentless warfare.

On Friday, Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces had captured three villages in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, underscoring the continuing volatility on the front lines even amid talk of renewed peace efforts.