StealthSnax
Well-known member
President Donald Trump is playing down the possibility of the US providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, suggesting that such an armament would be needed for future conflicts rather than to help Ukraine counter Russian aggression.
During their over two-hour conversation on Thursday, Trump emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, even if it means Ukraine surrendering territory. The Ukrainian president had requested American missiles to bolster his country's defense against Russia, but Trump expressed skepticism about providing them, saying "We'd much rather have them not need Tomahawks" and that there was a lot of bad blood between the US and Russia.
The tension between Washington and Moscow appears to be escalating after a surprise phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, in which Putin warned Trump that supplying Ukraine with the missiles would cause substantial damage to their relationship. In response, Trump claimed he told Putin it would be "bad for Russia" if Ukraine received the Tomahawks.
A meeting between Trump and Putin is planned in Hungary within two weeks, and both leaders are expected to discuss a potential peace agreement. However, with tensions running high, experts say there's little sign that Russia is willing to compromise or scale back its ambitions in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy had urged Trump to pressure Putin to stop the war, but after their meeting on Thursday, it's unclear how effective this appeal will be. The Ukrainian president has been counting on American backing to counter Russian aggression, but now seems to be facing a difficult sell to Washington as Trump's stance appears to have shifted in favor of Russia.
The meeting between Trump and Putin will provide further insight into the US-Russia relationship and its impact on Ukraine. With both leaders displaying little willingness to compromise, it remains uncertain whether any breakthroughs can be achieved that would bring an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
During their over two-hour conversation on Thursday, Trump emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, even if it means Ukraine surrendering territory. The Ukrainian president had requested American missiles to bolster his country's defense against Russia, but Trump expressed skepticism about providing them, saying "We'd much rather have them not need Tomahawks" and that there was a lot of bad blood between the US and Russia.
The tension between Washington and Moscow appears to be escalating after a surprise phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, in which Putin warned Trump that supplying Ukraine with the missiles would cause substantial damage to their relationship. In response, Trump claimed he told Putin it would be "bad for Russia" if Ukraine received the Tomahawks.
A meeting between Trump and Putin is planned in Hungary within two weeks, and both leaders are expected to discuss a potential peace agreement. However, with tensions running high, experts say there's little sign that Russia is willing to compromise or scale back its ambitions in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy had urged Trump to pressure Putin to stop the war, but after their meeting on Thursday, it's unclear how effective this appeal will be. The Ukrainian president has been counting on American backing to counter Russian aggression, but now seems to be facing a difficult sell to Washington as Trump's stance appears to have shifted in favor of Russia.
The meeting between Trump and Putin will provide further insight into the US-Russia relationship and its impact on Ukraine. With both leaders displaying little willingness to compromise, it remains uncertain whether any breakthroughs can be achieved that would bring an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
I get that there's bad blood between the US and Russia, but isn't it time for us to put our differences aside and support Ukraine without conditions? 
Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should surrender territory in exchange for a ceasefire is just not right. We can't let Putin dictate what Ukraine does or doesn't do. This meeting with Putin sounds like a PR stunt to me, but still hopeful for some progress... fingers crossed! 
he's literally saying we should just let them surrender their territory and then provide them with missiles later 
like what even is that logic? it seems like usa is just going to keep getting dragged into a war they didn't ask for. Putin's getting all these tough warnings from trump too, but it doesn't seem like anyone's willing to listen or compromise 
the meeting with putin in two weeks can't come soon enough, i guess we'll just have to wait and see if anything changes 
. Trump's stance on providing Tomahawk missiles is just so confusing - isn't that exactly what they need to defend themselves against Russia? It's like, they're already losing territory and lives, do we really want them to surrender more just to keep the peace? 
I mean, I get where Trump's coming from with the "no need for Tomahawks" thing, but can't we just support Ukraine in this moment of crisis? 
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. It's so frustrating! And now Trump and Putin are going to meet up again... I don't know what's gonna happen, but I hope they can find a way to make peace 
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I get why Trump wants to avoid escalating tensions with Russia, but this is a big deal for Ukraine 
. The fact that Putin warned Trump about the consequences of providing them seems legit 
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. trump should be thinking about the people affected by this war, not just his relationship with putin 
. and what's with him saying ukraine would need tomahawks for future conflicts? that's just a cop-out 
. america has a responsibility to help its allies in times of need 
. It's like he's trying to prove that we don't need those missiles because Russia won't give us anything anyway 
Think about it, Ukraine is just trying to defend itself against an enemy that's already proven its aggressive intentions 
. We need to stop thinking about winning or losing and start thinking about the human cost of all this 
it's like, what even is the goal here? is it really that simple as just having an immediate ceasefire and hoping for the best? or is there more to it than that?
it's like, can't they just talk things out and find a peaceful solution? i guess that's the million-dollar question isn't it?
Also, Putin's been pretty chill about escalating tensions... 
. The fact that Trump mentioned there's "bad blood" between the US and Russia doesn't help either 
. I just hope both sides can find some common ground before it's too late 
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Trump's all like "we dont wanna hurt russia's feelings"... meanwhile, ukraine's getting its butt kicked by russians. and trump thinks an immediate ceasefire wud mean ukraine just surrenders territory? no brainer! that s just not how it works. and now trump's planning a meet w/ putin in 2 wks? thats just gonna make things worse. this whole thing is so messed up 
. I'd like to see more clarity on Trump's stance, as his comments have cast doubt on the US's commitment to backing Ukraine 
. A meeting between Trump and Putin is always fraught with uncertainty, but this one might be particularly challenging given the current tensions 
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. meanwhile, zelenskyy is just sitting there waiting for american support, but now it seems like trump is gonna play the peace card and push russia's agenda instead 
. I mean, just because there's tension between the US and Russia doesn't mean we need to arm Ukraine to the teeth 
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. And let's be real, if Trump is already hinting that a Ukrainian surrender would be okay with him... 
that's not exactly reassuring for Ukraine or anyone who cares about human rights and democracy 