US President Donald Trump assured Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with him at the White House on Friday that it is time to conclude an agreement with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, adding that the two sides must “declare victory” and stop the bloodshed.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social: “The meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was very interesting and friendly.”
He added: “It is time to stop the killing and conclude a deal between Russia and Ukraine. Enough blood has been shed, and both parties must stop where they are now.”
He continued, saying: “Let each side declare victory and let history decide what happened. No more shooting, death, or unsustainable financial spending.”
He pointed out that “because of the Ukraine war, thousands are killed every week, so everyone must return to their homes and families in peace.”
The US President stressed that “the Ukraine war would never have started if I had been president.”
For his part, Zelensky said that he is “open to bilateral or tripartite formats of talks and to any form of dialogue that can bring us closer to achieving peace.”
The Ukrainian president stressed that “no about Tomahawk missiles, and Washington does not want escalation.”
Trump received his counterpart Zelensky at the White House on Friday, in a visit of great importance amid attempts to end the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.
The two presidents stood in front of the cameras before entering the White House, in a meeting that came a day after Trump announced a new summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While the US President believed that Putin wanted to end the war in Ukraine, Zelensky believed that Moscow sought to continue the “invasion” of his country.
Trump stated during the meeting, saying: “I believe that President Putin wants to end the war,” after Zelensky said that the Russian president “is not ready” for peace.
However, Trump said he realizes that Putin “may be trying to buy time.”
On the other hand, Trump stated that “it is too early to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles,” expressing his hope to reach an agreement with Russia before that.
