U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 17, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a shift in assist towards Russia’s Vladimir Putin as he appears for a fast finish to the battle in Ukraine, probably putting concern into Ukrainian officers.
Trump held a tense assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the White Home on Friday, with the potential provide of U.S. long-range cruise missiles, Tomahawks, on the agenda.
Zelenskyy walked away from the assembly not solely empty-handed, however apparently upbraided by Trump, who mentioned Ukraine settle for Russia’s phrases for ending the battle — by handing over your entire jap territory of Donbas, the epicenter of ongoing preventing in Ukraine.
Chatting with reporters this weekend, Trump mentioned for Donbas to be “lower the way in which it’s.”
“It is lower up proper now, I feel 78% of the land is already taken by Russia,” he mentioned on Air Drive One on Sunday. “They need to cease proper now on the battle traces … Go residence, cease killing folks and be achieved.”
Within the assembly with Zelenskyy, Trump additionally warned the Ukrainian chief that Putin had advised him — in a prolonged cellphone name on Thursday through which they agreed to carry in-person talks in Hungary — that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if it didn’t conform to the demand.
The assembly between Trump and Zelenskyy descended right into a “shouting match,” the Monetary Instances reported, with Trump “cursing on a regular basis,” in response to unnamed folks conversant in the matter cited by the FT.
In a Reality Social publish, Trump described the assembly as “very fascinating, and cordial,” however mentioned he had “strongly recommended” to each leaders that it was time to finish the battle.
“Let each declare Victory, let Historical past determine!” he mentioned within the publish Friday.
Zelenskyy placed on a courageous face, telling NBC Information’ “Meet the Press,” in an interview recorded Friday after the assembly with Trump, that “we’re not dropping this battle, and Putin just isn’t profitable.” He additionally remained optimistic regardless of leaving the White Home with out the Tomahawk missiles he was coveting.
“It is good that President Trump did not say ‘no,’ however for as we speak, did not say ‘sure,'” Zelenskyy advised “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker within the interview, which aired Sunday.
He additionally mentioned he was prepared to affix Putin and Trump’s upcoming summit in Budapest, which might happen within the subsequent few weeks. Whether or not Zelenskyy might be invited to Hungary stays to be seen, nevertheless.
In addition to declining to offer Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, which Trump had beforehand mooted in an obvious bid to convey Russia to the negotiating desk, Trump additionally mused about giving safety ensures to each Kyiv and Moscow, Reuters reported, citing two sources conversant in the talks.
CNBC has contacted the White Home for additional remark and is awaiting a response.
US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) within the Cupboard Room of the White Home in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2025.
Tom Brenner | Afp | Getty Photographs
Is Trump able to strain Putin?
Shut followers of Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy relations concern the U.S. president is well swayed by the veteran Russian chief’s arguments over Ukraine. They are saying Trump doesn’t seem prepared or keen to exert extra strain on Putin, be it within the type of extra arms transfers to Kyiv, or extra financial restrictions on Russia.
“We preserve dismissing Donald Trump as sort of ‘Everyone’s Idiot’ as a result of he is so bombastic and says many issues a mile a minute, however he truly is being very transactional concerning the relationship,” Nina Khrushcheva, The New College professor of worldwide affairs, advised CNBC “Squawk Field” Friday.
“Everyone retains pulling him one aspect or one other, be it the Russian aspect or Ukrainian aspect. However he is not taking sides, and he is actually enjoying, apparently, each fingers.”
She famous that Trump nonetheless needs to win over Putin, however can be preserving him on a “tight leash,” demonstrated by his risk to provide Ukraine extra weapons.
“Up to now, I feel it’s working. He isn’t giving both aspect what they needed, however he retains going, and ultimately, probably, they might conform to some type of a peace settlement,” she mentioned.
Michael O’Hanlon, director of overseas coverage analysis on the Brookings Establishment, advised CNBC that Putin is prone to wait Trump out.
“I feel it might be more practical [for Trump] to mix the army risk with higher financial strain, however we’ll see perhaps that comes later,” he famous Friday.
O’Hanlon mentioned there have been a number of methods the U.S. might ramp up the strain on Moscow, together with one other U.S. assist bundle for Ukraine and an even bigger crackdown on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers facilitating shipments of Russian oil to bypass the oil worth cap and sanctions.
“We do not do a lot buying and selling with Russia, however, after all, different international locations do, and I feel it is time to speak to not simply India, but in addition China a few technique whereby they might contemplate decreasing their interplay, their financial interplay, and also you threaten secondary sanctions if you do not get that sort of assist,” he mentioned.
“So these are the completely different items. Not all of them must occur at the very same minute, they usually can occur. They are often phased in, however I feel President Trump is a little bit too fixated on simply the Tomahawks, plus his private rapport with Putin, and I do not assume that is going to be sufficient [to stop Russia].”
