During a meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump urged Vladimir Zelensky to accept Russia's terms for ending the war, warning that otherwise Vladimir Putin would «destroy» Ukraine, reports the Financial Times citing sources.
According to the publication's interlocutors, this meeting repeatedly escalated into «shouting matches», with Trump «constantly arguing».
At one point, the American president pushed aside maps with the front line, stating that he was «tired» of looking at them. «This red line—I don't even know where this is. I've never been there», quotes a European official.
According to the publication, Trump insisted that Zelensky give Putin all of Donbass and repeatedly reiterated points made by Putin in a phone conversation the day before. Some of these contradicted Trump's recent statements, for example, he claimed that the Russian economy was in «excellent condition», although he had previously spoken of its collapse.
Although Ukraine ultimately managed to convince Trump to support freezing the current front line, this meeting reflected Trump's shifting position and his willingness to support Putin's maximalist demands, claims the FT.