Trump calls for Ukraine to be carved up with Russia after tense meeting with Zelenskyy

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a shift in support toward Russia’s Vladimir Putin as he looks for a quick end to the war in Ukraine, likely striking fear into Ukrainian officials.

Trump held a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday, with the potential supply of U.S. long-range cruise missiles, Tomahawks, on the agenda.

Zelenskyy walked away from the meeting not only empty-handed, but apparently upbraided by Trump, who said Ukraine should accept Russia’s terms for ending the war — by handing over the entire eastern territory of Donbas, the epicenter of ongoing fighting in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters this weekend, Trump said for Donbas to be “cut the way it is.”

“It’s cut up right now, I think 78% of the land is already taken by Russia,” he said on Air Force One on Sunday. “They should stop right now at the battle lines. ... Go home, stop killing people and be done.”

In the meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump also warned the Ukrainian leader that Putin had told him — in a lengthy phone call on Thursday in which they agreed to hold in-person talks in Hungary — that Russia would “destroy” Ukraine if it did not agree to the demand.

The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy descended into a “shouting match,” the Financial Times reported, with Trump “cursing all the time,” according to unnamed people familiar with the matter cited by the FT.

In a Truth Social post, Trump described the meeting as “very interesting, and cordial,” but said he had “strongly suggested” to both leaders that it was time to end the war.

“Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” he said in the post Friday.

Zelenskyy put on a brave face, telling NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” in an interview recorded Friday after the meeting with Trump, that “we are not losing this war, and Putin is not winning.” He also remained optimistic despite leaving the White House without the Tomahawk missiles he was coveting.

“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say ‘no,’ but for today, didn’t say ‘yes,’” Zelenskyy told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in the interview, which aired Sunday.

He also said he was ready to join Putin and Trump’s upcoming summit in Budapest, which could take place in the next few weeks. Whether Zelenskyy will be invited to Hungary remains to be seen, however.

As well as declining to provide Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, which Trump had previously mooted in an apparent bid to bring Russia to the negotiating table, Trump also mused about giving security guarantees to both Kyiv and Moscow, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the talks.

The White House declined to comment further to CNBC on Monday.

As for Moscow, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told CNBC on Monday in emailed comments that the Kremlin welcomes “Trump’s efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.”