After Zelenskyy meeting, Trump calls on Ukraine and Russia to ‘stop where they are’ and end the war : NPR

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday called on Kyiv and Moscow to “stop where they are” and end their brutal war after a lengthy meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump's frustration with the conflict has been on display repeatedly in the nine months since he returned to office, but in his latest comments he has retreated toward pressuring Ukraine not to reclaim land it lost to Russia.

“Enough blood has been spilled and property lines have been defined by war and courage,” Trump said in a Truth Social post shortly after Zelensky and his team hosted more than two hours of talks. “They should stop where they are. Let both declare Victory, let history decide!”

Later, shortly after arriving in Florida, where he was spending the weekend, Trump called on both sides to “stop the war immediately” and made it clear that Moscow would retain the territory taken from Kyiv.

“You follow the front line, wherever it is – otherwise it's too difficult,” Trump told reporters. “You stop at the battle line and both sides have to go home, go to their families, stop killing, that's it.”

The comments signaled another change in Trump's stance on the war. In recent weeks, he has shown growing impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed greater willingness to help Ukraine win the war.

After meeting with Zelensky in New York on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly last month, Trump even said he believed the Ukrainians could retake all the territory they have lost to Russia since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022. It was a dramatic shift for Trump, who had previously insisted that Kyiv would have to cede land given to Russia to end the war.

Zelensky said after Friday's meeting that the time had come for a ceasefire and negotiations. He avoided directly answering a question about Trump pushing Ukraine to give up land.

“The president is right, we need to stop where we are and then talk,” Zelensky said when asked by reporters about Trump’s social media post, which he had not seen.

Another change in tone

Trump's tone on the war changed after he held a lengthy phone call with Putin on Thursday and announced he planned to meet with the Russian leader in Budapest, Hungary, in the coming weeks.

On Friday, the president also signaled to Zelensky that he opposes the sale of long-range Tomahawk missiles to him, weapons that the Ukrainians believe could be a game changer and help push Putin to the negotiating table.

Zelensky, at the beginning of negotiations in the White House, said that he had a “proposal” according to which Ukraine could provide the United States with its modern drones, and Washington would sell Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv.

But Trump said he was hesitant to tap into U.S. supplies, a turning point after days of speculation that he was seriously considering sending missiles to help Ukraine repel a Russian invasion.

“I also have a responsibility to make sure that we as a country are fully stocked because you never know what will happen in war and peace,” Trump said. “We'd rather they didn't need Tomahawks.” Frankly, we would prefer the war to end.”

In an interview with Kristen Welker on NBC's Meet the Press, Zelensky suggested that the door is not closed.

“It's good that President Trump didn't say no, but to date he hasn't said yes,” he said.

Zelensky also said that “we need Tomahawks” because “it’s very difficult to just operate with Ukrainian drones only.”

Trump's latest rhetoric regarding Tomahawks has certainly disappointed the Ukrainians. In recent days, Trump has shown a willingness to sell Tomahawks to Ukraine, even as Putin warned that such a move would further strain US-Russian relations.

Why Tomahawks?

But after speaking with Putin on Thursday, Trump began downplaying the prospect of Ukraine receiving the missiles, which have a range of about 995 miles (1,600 kilometers).

Zelensky was looking for Tomahawks that would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russian territory and strike key military installations, energy facilities and critical infrastructure. Zelensky argues that the possibility of such strikes will help Putin take Trump's calls for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously.

Putin warned Trump during the call that supplying Kyiv with Tomahawks “would not change the situation on the battlefield, but would cause significant damage to relations between our countries,” according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser.

It was the fifth face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelensky since the Republican returned to office in January.

On Friday, the president said it was “to be determined” whether Zelensky would participate in the upcoming talks in Hungary, suggesting that a “dual meeting” with the leaders of the warring countries was likely the most appropriate option for productive negotiations.

“These two leaders don't like each other, and we want everyone to be comfortable,” Trump added.

But Zelensky told reporters that hostility toward Putin “is not related to feelings.”

“They attacked us, so they are our enemies. They do not intend to stop,” Zelensky added. “So they are enemies. It's not about someone just hating someone else. Although, of course, we hate the enemy. Without a doubt.”

Trump, returning to his 2024 campaign, has insisted he would quickly end the war, but his peace efforts appeared to stall after a diplomatic blitz in August when he held a summit with Putin in Alaska and a White House meeting with Zelensky and European allies.

After these meetings, Trump concluded that he was on track to organize direct negotiations between Zelensky and Putin. But the Russian leader showed no interest in meeting with Zelensky, and Moscow only intensified its bombing of Ukraine.

Asked Friday if he was concerned about Putin dragging him along, Trump acknowledged that was a possibility but said he was confident he could handle the Russian leader.

“I've been played all my life by the best of them, and I've done very well,” Trump said. He added: “I think I’m pretty good at it.”