Trump Tells Zelenskiy: ‘Putin Wants More of Ukraine, Kyiv Must Make a Deal’

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Ukraine should strike a deal with Russia to end the war because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not,” after a high-stakes summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Moscow reportedly demanded more Ukrainian territory.

After meeting Putin on Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the Russian leader was willing to freeze most battlefronts if Kyiv ceded the entire Donetsk region, a major Kremlin target. A source familiar with the matter said Zelenskiy flatly rejected the proposal. Russia already controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, including three-quarters of Donetsk province, where it first invaded in 2014.

Trump also shifted his earlier stance, saying he now agreed with Putin that a peace agreement should be sought directly, without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had been demanding.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often does not hold up.”

Zelenskiy countered on X, saying Russia’s refusal to halt the fighting would make peace harder to achieve. “Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war,” he said. Still, he confirmed he would meet Trump in Washington on Monday.

That meeting will revive memories of a tense February encounter in the Oval Office, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berated Zelenskiy. Trump has floated the idea of a potential three-way summit with Putin and Zelenskiy in the future.

European allies welcomed Trump’s engagement but vowed continued support for Ukraine and fresh sanctions against Moscow. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul suggested European leaders might also attend Monday’s White House talks.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has steadily advanced for months. Analysts say Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years has killed or wounded well over one million people on both sides, including thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

Trump’s remarks after his three-hour meeting largely aligned with Moscow’s positions. Putin maintained long-standing demands, including blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership, and made no public mention of meeting Zelenskiy. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later said no three-way summit was discussed.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump confirmed he and Putin discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had “largely agreed.”
“I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” Trump said. “Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say ‘no’.” Asked what advice he would give Zelenskiy, Trump replied: “Gotta make a deal. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”

Zelenskiy, however, has repeatedly said he cannot concede territory without constitutional changes, stressing that Donetsk’s strongholds—such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk—are vital bulwarks against Russian advances. He has also insisted on lasting security guarantees to prevent future invasions.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney praised Trump’s apparent openness to offering U.S. security guarantees, calling them “essential to any just and lasting peace.” Putin, while rejecting foreign ground troops, echoed the need for Ukraine’s security to be ensured.

For Putin, the summit itself was a symbolic victory. Shunned by Western leaders since 2022, he appeared alongside Trump just a week after facing new U.S. sanctions threats.

‘1–0 for Putin’
After returning to Washington, Trump spoke with European leaders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the war was “closer than ever to ending” thanks to Trump’s diplomacy, but warned of tougher sanctions if Russia pressed on.

Reuters says, In a joint statement, European leaders said Ukraine must receive “ironclad” security guarantees and retain full military rights, including the option to seek NATO membership.

Not everyone was impressed. “Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing,” wrote former German ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger on X.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued their nightly airstrikes, as heavy fighting raged on the front lines.

Trump told Fox he would temporarily delay tariffs on China over its Russian oil purchases, though he might “think about it” again in a few weeks.

Concluding the summit, Trump told Putin: “We’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.”
“Next time in Moscow,” Putin replied with a smile, in English.