Trump pressed Zelensky to make territorial concessions to Russia – NYT

Former U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during their Oct. 17 meeting at the White House to agree to territorial concessions to Russia, The New York Times reported, citing a European official familiar with a call between Zelensky and EU leaders.

According to the report, Zelensky told European counterparts that Trump initially demanded concessions similar to those he raised before his August summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, but later stopped insisting.

Trump warned that Russia could defeat Ukraine if no agreement was reached, while Zelensky maintained that Ukraine would continue to resist. Trump did not offer “Tomahawk” missiles, the paper said.

An EU diplomat told The New York Times that although no progress was achieved during the talks, there was no backtracking from previously reached understandings.

Earlier, AFP quoted a senior Ukrainian official saying Trump pressured Zelensky to withdraw forces from parts of eastern Donbas still under Kyiv’s control, describing the talks as “tense and difficult.”