US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that President Donald Trump has not yet decided whether to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. During a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, Trump reportedly suggested offering security guarantees to both Kyiv and Moscow comments that left the Ukrainian delegation puzzled, according to two sources familiar with the private talks.
The discussion grew increasingly fraught as Trump pressed Zelenskyy to relinquish large areas of territory to Russia, leaving the Ukrainian side disappointed. Following the meeting, Trump publicly called for a ceasefire along current frontlines, a stance Zelenskyy later echoed. A third source revealed that Trump proposed “making a deal where we are, on the demarcation line,” after Zelenskyy refused to voluntarily cede any land to Moscow.
While the meeting was not a disaster for Ukraine, Zelenskyy’s hope of securing long-range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russian territory went unfulfilled. Vice President Vance told reporters on Sunday night that Trump remains undecided about supplying those missiles.
Neither the White House nor Zelenskyy’s office responded to requests for comment. The Financial Times was first to report on elements of the talks.
In recent weeks, Trump appeared to shift away from pushing a quick deal between Kyiv and Moscow, instead showing stronger support for Ukraine. For instance, at the UN General Assembly in September, Trump speculated Ukraine could reclaim all lost territory, a prospect even Kyiv views as unlikely.
However, Friday’s meeting indicated a renewed push by Trump to finalise a deal swiftly, even if it involves terms unacceptable to Kyiv. US officials repeatedly raised the idea of a territorial swap, a concept Trump had supported earlier this year. According to sources, Trump emphasised the urgency of reaching an agreement.
One source described the meeting as “pretty bad,” summarising Trump’s message to Zelenskyy as warning that Ukraine would “freeze” and face destruction without a deal. Another source disputed the word “destroyed,” but noted Trump used profanity several times during the discussion.
Sources also suggested Trump’s stance was influenced by a recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly proposed a territorial swap involving Ukraine ceding Donetsk and Luhansk regions in exchange for parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. US officials presented this proposal to Zelenskyy on Friday.
Ukraine views the areas they still hold in Donetsk and Luhansk as strategically vital, believing surrendering these would make the rest of the country more vulnerable to Russian advances. One source described such a concession as tantamount to “suicide.”
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was said to be among the most forceful advocates for accepting the Russian swap proposal, citing the significant Russian-speaking populations in Donetsk and Luhansk a point he has publicly emphasised.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump announced plans to meet Putin in Budapest. Shortly afterward, a Kremlin aide confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would hold preparatory talks soon. According to a source, Rubio is expected to meet Lavrov next Thursday.
A previous meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska in August ended without any breakthroughs.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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