‘Putin will destroy you’: Trump tells Zelenskyy to accept Moscow’s terms to end the war

US President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms for ending the war during a tense White House meeting on Friday, warning that President Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if it did not comply, the Financial Times reported.

The meeting between the two leaders frequently descended into a “shouting match,” with Trump “cursing all the time”, people familiar with the matter told FT.

European officials cited by FT said Trump told Zelenskyy that he was “losing the war” and needed to “cut a deal or face destruction.” The US president’s comments, they said, closely mirrored Putin’s language, contradicting his earlier statements about Russia’s military vulnerabilities.

They said that the US president brushed aside maps showing front-line positions, insisting that Kyiv surrender the entire Donbas region to Russia and echoing talking points Putin had raised during their phone call a day earlier.

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The meeting came amid Trump’s renewed push to end Russia’s invasion following the Gaza ceasefire deal, which he has framed as a model for achieving global stability.

European officials with knowledge of the exchange told FT that Trump bluntly told Zelenskyy he was losing the war and needed to “cut a deal or face destruction,” quoting the U.S. president as saying, “If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you.”

During the meeting, Trump appeared to repeat several of Putin’s arguments verbatim, even when they contradicted his own previous comments about Russian weaknesses. His posture reflected a sharp pivot from earlier months, when he had suggested he could broker “peace through strength” while arming Ukraine with long-range weapons to deter Moscow.

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Trump’s tone shifted markedly after his Thursday call with Putin, during which the two leaders agreed to meet in Budapest “within weeks” to discuss Ukraine’s war. Speaking to reporters later, Trump said, “Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by war and guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim victory, let history decide.”

Trump hints at accepting current battle lines

After the meeting, Trump appeared to favour a settlement that would freeze the conflict along existing battle lines. “Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts. They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!” he posted on Truth Social.

Later in Florida, he urged both sides to “stop the war immediately” and implied that Moscow should retain territory it has seized. Trump also indicated hesitation over providing long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, despite earlier suggestions of possible support. “We’d much rather have the war be over, to be honest,” he told reporters.

Zelenskyy urges allies against appeasing Russia

Zelenskyy on Sunday urged allies against appeasing Russia, in a statement after he returned from a trip to the United States where he failed to secure long-range Tomahawk missile supplies.

Zelenskyy came to Washington after weeks of calls for Tomahawks, hoping to capitalise on US President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after a summit in Alaska failed to produce a breakthrough.

But the Ukrainian leader left empty-handed as Trump eyes a fresh diplomatic breakthrough on the back of last week’s Gaza peace deal.

“Ukraine will never grant terrorists any bounty for their crimes, and we count on our partners to uphold this very position,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media on his return from Washington.

He called “for decisive steps” from European and American allies, adding that it was time for another meeting between the European-led “coalition of the willing”.

According to Germany’s Kiel Institute, foreign military support to Ukraine dropped by 43% in July and August compared to the first half of the year. The institute attributed the decline partly to a new NATO fund — the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) — that pools European contributions for US-made weapons, excluding direct American financing.

With inputs from agencies