Trump urged Zelensky to cede Donbass for peace with Russia

US President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to relinquish control over the eastern Donbass region in exchange for peace with Russia during what one senior Ukrainian official described as “tense” talks at the White House last Friday, AFP reported.

According to the Ukrainian official, the meeting was “not easy,” and ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war were “dragged out” and “going in circles.” Despite Trump’s campaign promises to swiftly end the conflict upon returning to office in January, negotiations with Moscow have yet to yield progress.

Peace efforts stall ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Trump’s earlier meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August failed to produce a ceasefire, and hopes for a rapid resolution have since faded. The two leaders announced plans for a follow-up meeting in Budapest, but the Kremlin said Tuesday there was no “precise” date, while a US official clarified that the meeting would not take place “in the immediate future.”

Meanwhile, European leaders have pushed back against any proposal that would require Ukraine to cede territory. They argue that hostilities should be frozen along the current front lines instead. Ukraine maintains that the Donbass, comprising the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, is an integral part of its sovereign territory and has consistently rejected the notion of surrendering land to Russia.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and Britain’s Keir Starmer, said that while they “strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately,” Russia “is not serious about peace.”

Trump denies pushing Kiev to give up land
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump avoided directly addressing reports that he had urged Zelensky to withdraw from the Donbass. “What I say is they should stop right now at the battle lines … They can negotiate something later on down the line,” he told reporters.

However, when asked by AFP whether Trump had indeed pressured Kiev to cede territory still under Ukrainian control, one of Putin’s central demands, a senior Ukrainian official responded: “Yes, that’s true.”

Zelensky, who met Trump hoping to secure long-range Tomahawk missiles and broader military support, left Washington empty-handed after the US president denied his request and instead encouraged him to “make a deal.”

European allies back Kiev’s right to decide
The Ukrainian leader, who seeks to attend any upcoming Trump-Putin summit after being excluded from the Alaska talks, has repeatedly ruled out territorial concessions. European allies have echoed his stance.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in Slovenia on Tuesday that while Europe supports ceasefire efforts and stands ready to provide security guarantees, any decision over territory “is up to Ukraine.”

“No one else can do this,” Macron emphasized. “Therefore, it is up to Ukraine to decide for itself and its territory.

Budapest prospects
Zelensky’s latest visit to the White House unfolded amid signs of shifting US priorities. During his meeting with President Donald Trump, the Ukrainian leader pressed for additional long-range systems, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, but was told it was “too early” for such transfers. Trump said that his administration’s main goal was to end the conflict through diplomacy, saying, “Hopefully they won’t need it. Hopefully we’ll be able to get the war over with without thinking about Tomahawks.”

The two leaders’ encounter came just days after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold a summit in Budapest, with Hungary offering to host and guarantee Putin’s safety despite the International Criminal Court warrant against him. Zelensky said he was ready to travel to the Hungarian capital if a trilateral format or “shuttle diplomacy” arrangement were proposed. “If we really want to have just and lasting peace, we need both sides of this tragedy… How can there be some deals without us about us?” he had earlier told NBC.

Zelensky’s comments on Sunday reflected a guarded sense of optimism after what was widely reported as a tense meeting at the White House. “After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with (Trump) and his team, his message, in my view, is positive, that we stand where we stand on the front line,” he said.

Trump, who has recently touted his ability to broker a settlement with Moscow, publicly called for a ceasefire along the current frontlines following the meeting. Zelensky appeared to align with that position, saying a pause in fighting could serve as a foundation for further negotiations, though he reiterated that any agreement must guarantee Ukraine’s security.