Russia-Ukraine war: During the meeting at the White House, Trump also told Zelenskyy that he is reluctant in selling the long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, days after he warned Russia that he might do so.
Washington:
US President Donald Trump held a crucial meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington and stressed that it is important to immediately end its war with Russia in Europe that broke out in February 2022. Though Trump acknowledged the animosity that is there between Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, the 79-year-old Republican president expressed hopes of brokering peace in Europe and end the bloodshed there.
- During his bilateral lunch with Zelenskyy at White House, Trump also referred to his success in brokering peace between Hamas and Israel, noting that the situation in the Middle East was more ‘complicated’ as 59 countries were involved there.ย
- “We had 59 countries involved, and every one of them agreed. Most people didn’t think that was doable. This is going to be something I really believe that’s going to get done,” Trump said.ย
- He also spoke about his telephonic conversation with Putin and said the Russian leader also wants to end the war in Ukraine, which Trump claimed has killed both Ukrainian and Russian nationals.ย
- Notably, Trump and Putin will also hold a second summit in Hungary in a few weeks, following their successful meeting in Alaska on August 15.ย
- Later, on a post on Truth Social, Trump said his meeting with Zelenskyy was “very interesting and cordial”, adding that he told the Ukrainian leader “to stop the killing and make a deal” with Putin.
- “They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide! No more shooting, no more Death, no more vast and unsustainable sums of money spent,” he said.
- Interestingly, in his Truth Social post, Trump once again claimed the war would have never broken out had he been the president, taking a veiled dig at his predecessor Joe Biden. “Thousands of people being slaughtered each and every week โ NO MORE, GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES IN PEACE!” he said.
- Meanwhile, Trump also told Zelenskyy that he is reluctant in selling the long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, days after he warned Russia that he might do so. “I have an obligation also to make sure that we are completely stocked up as a country, because you never know what is going to happen in war and peace,” Trump said. “We would much rather have them not need Tomahawks. We would much rather have the war be over to be honest.”
- After Trump’s warning, Russia had said that the US delivering the Tomahawks to Ukraine has caused “extreme concern” in Moscow.
- Meanwhile, after the meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy said that his hatred for Putin “is not about feelings”. “They attacked us, so they are an enemy for us. They do not intend to stop… So they are an enemy. It is not about someone just hating someone else. Although, undoubtedly, we hate the enemy. Undoubtedly,” he said.ย ย
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