After Zelenskyy meeting, Trump calls on Ukraine and Russia to 'stop where they are' and end the war

In a surprise move, former US President Donald Trump has called on both Ukraine and Russia to halt their conflict and bring an end to the ongoing war.

Speaking in an interview aired on Friday, Trump urged both sides to "stop where they are" and engage in serious negotiations. The call comes as tensions between the two nations have escalated in recent weeks, with multiple reports of clashes along the Line of Contact – a de facto ceasefire line that has been in place since 2015.

Trump's comments were made just days after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The former president's conversation with Zelenskyy was seen as an effort to reassure Ukraine and demonstrate US support for its efforts to counter Russian aggression.

While Trump's remarks were largely seen as a conciliatory gesture, they also raised questions about his own views on the conflict. Critics have pointed out that during his presidency, Trump made several decisions that appeared to favor Russia's interests over those of Ukraine, including withdrawing US troops from Eastern Europe and easing sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

Despite these reservations, Trump's statement has been welcomed by some as a positive step towards reducing tensions in the region. "It's about time someone took the gloves off," said one senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We need to stop talking and start acting."

However, others remain skeptical of Trump's motives, warning that his words may be seen as an attempt to appease Russia at Ukraine's expense. As one US diplomat put it, "It's all about messaging now. We need to make sure our actions match our rhetoric."

so trump is trying to broker peace between ukraine and russia... but can we trust him? he's got a pretty checkered history when it comes to russia, you know? like, remember all the sanctions they lifted on russian oligarchs during his presidency? it doesn't exactly scream 'pro-ukraine' if you ask me. and now he's calling for both sides to just stop fighting? sounds like a pretty easy way out to me... what do you guys think?

Dude, the numbers are wild - 6 months of continuous conflict between Ukraine and Russia, resulting in 13k+ civilian casualties and $10B in economic losses . And Trump's call for a ceasefire? That's like throwing a stone into a still pond, creating ripples that can lead to some serious negotiations . But let's look at the data - Ukraine has been making some gains on the ground, recapturing 10km+ of territory since 2015 . Meanwhile, Russia's troop numbers have remained stagnant since 2022 . Trump's got some explaining to do, but who knows, maybe his words will be enough to get the ball rolling . On a scale of 1-10, I'd say his chances of success are around 5/10 ️. Still, it's worth a shot, right?

I think its crazy that trump is trying to broker peace between russia and ukraine lol like what changed his mind? was he offered a big fat bribe or something idk, but i do think its good to see some kinda resolution tho hopefully not just some watered down deal that still benefits russia though

i mean, trump is trying to be the hero here but has anyone thought through the consequences? he's basically saying 'just stop fighting' but what if russia doesn't want to stop? what if they're just waiting for a weak link in Ukraine so they can swoop in and take advantage of it? it's not that simple. and meanwhile, trump is trying to spin this as a way to show he cares about ukraine but really it just looks like he's trying to save face after all the shady things he did during his presidency

I feel like Trump is trying to get out of a bad spot with Ukraine . He knows his views on Russia were super questionable, so he's trying to spin this as a good thing . Newsflash: just because you say something doesn't mean it's actually going to happen . The question is, what's Trump really getting out of this? Is it just PR points or does he actually believe the conflict should be over?

I GUESS TRUMP'S TRYING TO BE THE MIDDLEMAN HERE, BUT IT'S HARD NOT TO WONDER WHAT HE'S REALLY AFTER . I MEAN, ON ONE HAND, IT'S GREAT THAT HE'S TAKING A STAND AND CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE – IT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP CALM THINGS DOWN IN THE REGION. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT ALL THE TIMES HE FAVORED RUSSIA OVER UKRAINE DURING HIS PREZENCY . STILL, I GUESS IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING AT THIS POINT. MAYBE TRUMP'S JUST TRYING TO PROVE A POINT AND SHOW THAT HE'S NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE SITUATION .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this . I mean, Donald Trump is calling on both sides to just... stop? It sounds like something out of a peace treaty or something . But seriously, it's interesting that he made these comments after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House. You have to wonder what was going through his head during those conversations .

And can we talk about how Trump's record on Russia and Ukraine is just so... complicated? I mean, we all know he didn't exactly cover himself in glory when it came to dealing with Putin . So now that he's trying to be the voice of reason here, I'm not sure if anyone really believes him .

I guess what I'm saying is that this whole thing feels like a big PR stunt for Trump. Is he trying to boost his reputation as a peacemaker? Or is it just a genuine attempt to help ease tensions in the region? Whatever the reason, I hope it doesn't end up being another example of "talk is cheap" .

I think Trump's comments were a good start, like a calm breath in the middle of a heated debate . It's not going to solve everything overnight, but at least he's trying to bring both sides to the table. Ukraine and Russia need to put their differences aside for the sake of stability in the region . I'm also kinda curious about what's behind Trump's move - is it a genuine effort to broker peace or just a clever PR stunt? Either way, let's hope it leads to something positive .

just thinkin... Trump might actually be tryin to help w/ the situation? he had that convo w/ Zelenskyy at the White House and then makes a call for both sides to chill ️ it's defo not his best move tho cuz people are all like "wait what about all the times he was all pro Russia?" still, maybe this is just what Ukraine needs? let's keep our fingers crossed and hope everyone stays calm

I think its a bit weird that trump is calling out both ukraine and russia to just stop the war like that. hes been super pro russian during his presidencies and i dont see why he would just turn around now.

like what if this is just some kinda publicity stunt or somethin? i mean, we all know how russians can play the victim card and make everyone feel bad for them... but still, ukraine has every right to defend itself against russia's aggression.

anywayz, i dont think we should be too quick to judge trump's motives just yet. maybe hes really trying to broker some kinda peace deal between the two nations... but at the same time, his history with russia makes me super skeptical.