U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to surrender parts of Ukraine’s territory to Russia during a tense meeting on Friday, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussion. The meeting, which left the Ukrainian delegation frustrated, revealed Trump’s growing push for a quick peace deal with Moscow, even at the expense of Ukraine’s strategic interests.
Sources said Trump proposed that Kyiv accept a ceasefire along current frontlines, an idea he raised after Zelenskiy rejected any voluntary territorial concessions. Trump also declined to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and suggested offering “security guarantees” to both Kyiv and Moscow — a proposal that reportedly baffled the Ukrainian side.
Following the meeting, Trump publicly called for a ceasefire, a position Zelenskiy later echoed in comments to the press. Despite earlier signs that Trump was aligning more closely with Ukraine, his latest stance signals a renewed effort to end the war through negotiation rather than continued military support.
U.S. officials reportedly discussed a potential territorial swap — ceding Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia in exchange for limited gains in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — an idea previously supported by Trump. Ukrainian officials strongly opposed the suggestion, calling it a “suicidal” move that would leave the nation more vulnerable to future Russian aggression.
Sources also noted that Trump appeared influenced by a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly proposed the same swap plan. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was among those pressing the Ukrainians to accept the deal, emphasizing the Russian-speaking population in the contested regions.
Trump is expected to meet Putin in Budapest soon, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov preparing for the summit.