After Zelenskyy meeting, Trump says both Ukraine, Russia should declare victory

President Trump has stated that both Russia and Ukraine should declare victory in their conflict, suggesting that history will decide what's best for both countries. During a meeting at the White House on Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that it's time to stop the killing and make a deal.

Trump's comments came after he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who plans to meet him in Budapest soon. The two leaders have been discussing ways to end the conflict, including potentially trading US Tomahawk missiles for Ukrainian drones.

However, Trump also expressed some reservations about providing long-range weapons to Ukraine, citing the risk of escalation. He suggested that both sides should stop fighting and claim victory, allowing history to decide what's best for them.

During their meeting, Zelenskyy told reporters that he and Trump decided not to publicly discuss whether the US will provide Tomahawks, citing concerns about escalating tensions with Russia. Trump had previously said that Tomahawk missiles would be a "new step of aggression" in the conflict, but also acknowledged that Ukraine needs them to defend itself.

Trump believes that both sides are close to ending the war without resorting to military action. He also thinks he can persuade Putin to end the conflict, saying "Yup." However, Ukrainian authorities have expressed skepticism about Russia's intentions, citing recent large-scale attacks on Ukraine.

The US and Russian advisers will meet next week in a location yet to be disclosed, ahead of Trump's meeting with Putin in Budapest. The White House has indicated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the initial meetings leading up to the Trump-Putin meeting.

You know what's been bugging me lately? I was at this weird food truck festival last weekend and they had this crazy Korean BBQ that literally melted my face off... just kidding, it was good! But seriously, have you ever tried to take a selfie with a mouth full of kimchi? Not easy, trust me. Anyway, back to Trump's comments about Russia and Ukraine declaring victory... I guess it's interesting how some people think history can just decide everything. Like, do we really want to leave that up to chance? Wouldn't be cool if world leaders could just have a civilized conversation instead of resorting to nuclear threats all the time...

Oh man, you gotta love how President Trump thinks he can just give a pep talk to both Russia and Ukraine to get them to stop killing each other lol . Like, I'm no expert, but it sounds like he's just trying to avoid being the bad guy in this whole conflict drama . And what's with all these back-and-forth meetings between Trump and Putin? It's like they're playing a game of diplomatic poker . But honestly, who knows what's gonna happen? Maybe Ukraine will get Tomahawk missiles and Russia will just be like "oh okay, cool I guess" . Or maybe Putin will try to negotiate some sweet drone deals . Either way, it's all good for us because we get to watch this trainwreck from afar !

I'm so done with Trump's diplomatic style, you know? Like, stop trying to solve conflicts by literally telling both sides to just give up and claim victory . That's not how history works, dude! The fact that he's even suggesting this is like, totally undermining Ukraine's right to defend itself. And what's with the Tomahawk missiles for drones trade? That sounds like a total loser deal . I mean, come on Trump, you're supposed to be the leader of the free world, not some amateur negotiator who thinks 'Yup' is a diplomatic solution . This whole thing just reeks of Russia's aggression and Ukraine being caught in the middle. Mark my words, this is going to end badly

Trump's comments on Russia & Ukraine are super puzzling... like, is he seriously suggesting they both just declare victory and let history decide? That doesn't feel right considering how messy this conflict already is. And what about Ukraine's defense needs? I mean, if the US isn't willing to provide Tomahawk missiles, then who will? Putin's intentions are super sketchy too... all that talk of meeting in Budapest and whatnot just sounds like more games to me .

Man, think about it... what does it even mean for two nations to declare victory in a conflict? Is it really about winning or losing, or is it about finding a way out of the cycle of violence and bloodshed? Trump's comment feels like a cop-out, you know? Like he's trying to absolve both sides of their responsibilities. But what if that's exactly what we need right now? A chance for leaders on both sides to step back from the brink and try something new.

And what about the cost of "winning" in the first place? We often talk about peace being the ultimate goal, but what does it even mean to achieve that? Is it a static state, or is it about creating a dynamic, living peace that's always evolving? I'm not saying we can't strive for peace, but let's not pretend like it's going to be easy. We need to confront our own fears and biases, just like Trump and Putin do. Maybe that's the real work that needs to happen before we can even talk about a ceasefire.

Trump is trying to play peacemaker here but it feels like he's trying to pull a fast one on both sides. I mean, can you really blame Ukraine for wanting to defend themselves against Russia's aggression? And as for Putin, let's not forget that Russia has been involved in this conflict for years and the Ukrainian people are still paying the price .

The idea of trading US missiles for Ukrainian drones sounds like a pretty weak hand to me . I mean, what makes Trump think that Putin is going to take advantage of Ukraine just because they're willing to trade their own military hardware? It's just not how geopolitics works .

And let's not forget about the fact that Russia has been escalating its attacks on Ukraine lately . If anything, it feels like Trump's comments are going to embolden Putin even more. We need a more concrete plan of action here, not just some vague suggestions about "history" deciding what happens next .

idk why trump is even trying to play peacemaker here Russia and ukraine have been at war for years and its not just about a simple deal, it's lives and people on both sides . i think trump thinks he can just wave his hand and make everything okay, but its way more complicated than that . what if russia is just trying to buy time so they can regroup and come back stronger? Ukraine needs those tomahawk missiles to defend themselves, cant just give them up . i hope trump is just trying to negotiate a real deal here, not just spin it to make himself look good

"War does not determine it who is right - only who is left."

I gotta say, I agree with Trump on this one but... what if both Russia and Ukraine think 'declaring victory' means they get to keep their sovereignty? Like, what's the plan after the guns go down? And I'm not buying that Putin's all about peace, he's just trying to flex his muscles. Trump's right to be cautious with those Tomahawk missiles, we can't afford another Ukraine crisis. But at the same time, Zelenskyy needs them to survive. This whole situation is a mess, and I'm not sure anyone knows what they're doing.

I'm not sure what's more concerning - Russia's intentions or Trump's willingness to just declare victory and let history decide . It sounds like he's giving Putin a free pass to just back down, without any real pressure for concrete action . Ukraine needs those Tomahawk missiles to defend themselves, and if they don't get them, they're basically on their own . I'm also worried about Rubio leading the meetings - has anyone done their due diligence on Putin's track record? We need more transparency here, not just vague assurances from Trump .

I'm not sure what's more worrying about this situation... if Trump thinks history is gonna decide everything for Russia and Ukraine, or if he actually thinks Putin is just gonna magically stop being aggressive . Like, come on, Mr President, you can't just wish away decades of tension between these two countries with a few words. What makes him think Putin's gonna be all like "yup" and just resolve everything peacefully? It's not like we're getting a clear picture of what Trump and Putin are actually negotiating here...

I'm still trying to wrap my head around President Trump's comments on the Russia-Ukraine conflict . On one hand, I think it's great that he's pushing for a peaceful resolution, and his willingness to meet with Putin is definitely a step in the right direction . However, I'm also concerned about his reservations on providing long-range weapons to Ukraine - shouldn't they be able to defend themselves against Russia?

At the same time, I think it's good that he's open to discussing potential trade-offs with Putin, like swapping US Tomahawk missiles for Ukrainian drones . It just feels like there's a lot of uncertainty and skepticism from both sides right now, which is why I'm not entirely convinced about Russia's intentions .

Overall, I think the US needs to be cautious but also proactive in trying to broker a peace deal that benefits everyone involved . It's going to be interesting to see how things play out next week and what kind of agreements can be reached between Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian authorities

man this is so bad... like trump is basically saying its not his problem if russia keeps bombing ukraine he just wants to make a deal without actually doing anything to stop the violence meanwhile zelenskyy is all worried about escalating tensions with russia lol whats wrong with trump anyway? and now theres talk of trading tomahawk missiles for ukrainian drones like what even is that like hes not trying to help or somethin... this meeting in budapest cant come soon enough

I'm not sure if Trump's suggestion that both Russia and Ukraine declare victory is a masterstroke or a recipe for disaster. On one hand, it could be seen as a pragmatic attempt to de-escalate tensions and give history a chance to intervene. The fact that he's considering trading US Tomahawk missiles for Ukrainian drones also shows that he's willing to think outside the box.

However, Ukraine's history with Russia is complex, and it's hard to imagine Putin suddenly changing his stripes. Trump's reservations about providing long-range weapons to Ukraine are understandable, but we can't rule out the possibility of escalation entirely. I'm also worried about the lack of transparency around US involvement in ending the conflict – what if this is just a smokescreen for more aggressive action?

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, especially with Putin and Trump meeting soon. Will they really be able to persuade each other to end the conflict peacefully? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a positive outcome!