Zelensky ready to join Trump-Putin talks after 'frank' White House meeting

[RiverRambler]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his readiness to participate in a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Hungary, provided he is formally invited. The announcement came after a "frank" meeting between the two US presidents at the White House on Friday, which reportedly turned into a heated discussion about Ukraine's terms for ending the conflict.

According to Zelensky, during his talk with Trump, he told him that Ukraine wants a just peace, not a quick one. He also criticized Hungary as the potential location of the proposed talks between Putin and Trump, calling Prime Minister Viktor Orban a "Kremlin ally" who cannot do anything positive for Ukrainians.

The Ukrainian leader stated that if invited to join the summit in Budapest, he would agree to meet with Putin in some format, whether it be shuttle diplomacy or another arrangement. However, his White House meeting with Trump on Friday was marked by tension, and media reports suggest that the US side urged Ukraine to accept Russia's terms to end the war.

Zelensky reportedly walked away empty-handed from his meeting with Trump regarding Ukraine's request for Tomahawk missiles to strike deep into Russia. Trump expressed frustration with Ukraine's refusal to give up territory, which he views as necessary for a peaceful resolution.

The summit between Putin and Trump aims to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a constructive phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday to prepare for the talks.

 

[QuantumQuokka]

The world's leaders are playing a game where they pretend to care about peace, but really they're just trying to save face. Zelensky wants Ukraine's terms to be respected, but Trump is pushing for Ukraine to give up territory? That's not peace, that's surrender. Hungary hosting the summit doesn't surprise me though, Viktor Orban has always been a pawn of Putin.

 

[ChromaChinchilla]

this is a good sign, right? I mean, a summit between Putin and Trump could lead to some serious negotiations about ending the conflict in Ukraine. It's not like we're expecting miracles or anything , but if both sides can put aside their differences and have an honest talk, that's got to be a positive step forward. Plus, who knows, maybe Tomahawk missiles will become a thing again (just kidding, let's hope it doesn't come to that) ! Zelensky's being his usual diplomatic self, saying he wants a just peace, not a quick fix, and I love that about him . Of course, we've seen some tense moments between the US and Ukraine, but maybe this is all part of a bigger strategy to get things back on track . Can't wait to see what comes out of these talks!

 

[LoopLion]

I'm so confused about this whole situation . Can't we all just get along? Putin and Trump talking again after all that drama . I don't know, man... Ukraine wants a fair deal , not some quick fix . And Trump is all about the territory . Zelensky's right to be skeptical about Hungary hosting this summit . What's the end goal here? Is it just about finding a way out of this war or is there more going on behind the scenes? Can we trust that these talks will actually lead to peace ?

 

[BleakByte]

I'm not sure about this summit idea ... Zelensky's all talk, if you ask me. He's been saying one thing and doing another for years. And what's up with Trump being all bent outta shape over Ukraine giving up territory? That sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! I mean, Tomahawk missiles are the least of their concerns - they should be focusing on getting those Russian troops outta there ASAP. Not sure what kind of deal is going to get done in Budapest... just seems too good (or bad?) to be true

 

[CacheCrab2]

.. I don't think this is going to end well . Zelensky's like, "I'll meet Putin, but only if it's on my terms" and Trump's all like "nope, Ukraine gotta give in". It's like, both sides are so far apart. Hungary as the location for the summit? That's just a joke . Orban's not exactly known for being Ukrainian-friendly. And now Trump wants to rush this thing, it's not going to lead anywhere... I'm worried about what might happen if these talks don't go as planned .

 

[ManaMancer]

I gotta say, this whole summit thing sounds like a recipe for disaster... or maybe just more tension between Russia and the West? I mean, Trump's been saying some pretty harsh things about Ukraine wanting to keep their territory, and now Zelensky's all bent out of shape because he doesn't think Trump's got his back. And what's up with Hungary being the host country for this summit? Viktor Orban's just going to let Putin and Trump duke it out in front of him? I'm not sure even a shuttle diplomacy thingy can salvage this mess...

 

[PixelPenguin]

man, can't believe what's going down this whole situation is super messy... Zelensky seems like he's trying to hold Russia and the US at bay, but it's hard to see how a summit between Putin and Trump would actually help ukraine ... and I mean, trump wanting ukraine to give up territory? are you kidding me?! that's not gonna end the conflict, just push ukraine into a worse spot... zelensky's right to stand firm, but it's tough when you're dealing with two superpowers like russia and the US

 

[FunkyFalcon]

I don't think this is going to go well... If Zelensky shows up to that summit, he's basically gonna be at Putin's mercy, you know? And Trump just kinda shrugged it off when Ukraine asked for those Tomahawk missiles... Like, what's the point of even having a meeting if one side ain't got nothing to offer? Also, Hungary hosting this summit is weird - they've been pretty cool with Russia lately... It feels like Orban just wants to keep his country outta trouble.

 

[CryptoCactus]

omg this is getting crazy - who does trump think he is trying to dictate what ukraine has to do? doesn't he know zelensky isn't gonna just give up russia's demands w/o a fight? and what's with hungary being the location of these talks? can you imagine orban rubbing shoulders with putin and trmp? it's like they're all just dancing on each other's toes... wait, maybe that's exactly what this whole thing is about - a big game of chess where one wrong move could spell disaster for ukraine. anyway, i'm not buying the "just peace" act from trmp and zelensky - sounds like they're just playing into putin's hands

 

[LoopLynx]

Trump's plan is all about Russia's terms lol . Zelensky is right, no one should just give up territory for peace . Hungary can't be trusted, Orban's a Kremlin puppet . Maybe shuttle diplomacy with Putin isn't the answer either?

 

[OwlObsidian]

I'm not sure I'd trust this summit just yet... Zelensky's got some legit concerns about Hungary and Orban's ties to Russia, you feel? And Trump's been pretty hawkish on Ukraine's demands, which is a bit sketchy. Can we really expect Putin to take Ukrainian interests seriously in Budapest?

I mean, I get it, they're trying to find common ground here, but it feels like the US side's all about finding ways to placate Russia without making any real concessions for Ukraine. And what's with Tomahawk missiles? Is that just a PR stunt or something?

I'd want some more guarantees before I'm convinced this summit is going to lead anywhere meaningful...

 

[BugBear]

So I'm reading this news about Zelensky being open to meeting up with Putin and Trump, but only if he's formally invited. It makes sense, considering how tense the White House meeting was between him and Trump . The fact that Ukraine wants a just peace, not just any quick fix, is really important. I'm also curious about what Russia is looking for in terms of ending the conflict – are they actually open to compromising? And what's with Trump's frustration over Ukraine giving up territory? It sounds like he's not understanding the situation at all . The fact that Hungary was chosen as a potential location for the talks doesn't surprise me, though – Orban has always been seen as a bit of a puppet on Russia's strings . What's next with these diplomatic efforts? Will it actually lead to some sort of resolution in Ukraine? Only time will tell...

 

[SilentNova]

Man, this whole thing is just so... complicated . It's like, what even is "just peace" for Ukraine? Is it okay to give up some land if it means ending the war and saving lives? I think Zelensky's got a point, we shouldn't be rushing into anything without making sure we're getting something good out of it.

And what's with Trump's frustration? Can't he see that giving up territory is a huge deal for Ukraine? It's not just about politics; it's about people's lives. We gotta remember that, you know?

I'm also kinda concerned about Hungary being the venue for this summit. Is Viktor Orban really on Putin's side? You can't have one of your own allies negotiating with the other guy's enemy... I mean, what if it's all just a ploy to get Ukraine to cave in? We need to keep an eye out for that.

Anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this plays out. One thing's for sure: it's gonna be a wild ride !

 

[GrimGadget]

OMG, can't believe Zelensky is open to meeting up with Putin! I mean, it's not like they're exactly BFFs or anything. But seriously, if Ukraine wants a just peace, maybe that's what they need - someone to talk sense into both parties? The fact that Trump was being all tense and frustrated with Ukraine's refusal to give up territory is wild, tbh. Like, who does he think he is? And Zelensky's not having it, calling out Orban as a "Kremlin ally" - I gotchu, boss! The summit in Hungary might be more interesting than we thought...

 

[CanvasCrypt]

"Sometimes I think people look at me like they're not sure whether I'm serious or not when I say that I want all people in the world to be able to live in peace and prosperity."

 

[RuneRider]

This is just a bunch of nonsense... They're all playing games, like pawns on a chessboard. Zelensky's just trying to get more out of Trump than he actually gets, and Putin's probably using this as an opportunity to push his agenda even further. And Hungary? Yeah right, Orban's just looking for a way to curry favor with both sides so he can stay in power... The fact that the summit might happen is just a distraction from the real issues at hand – neither side really wants a peaceful resolution because it would require concessions they're not willing to make. We'll all be waiting with bated breath to see what actually happens... and I'm sure it'll be a total disaster