{"id":1150,"date":"2025-10-17T20:44:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/?p=1150"},"modified":"2025-10-20T08:53:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T08:53:30","slug":"5-takeaways-from-the-trump-zelensky-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globaltaalenthq.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/17\/5-takeaways-from-the-trump-zelensky-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"5 takeaways from the Trump-Zelensky meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday at the White House, part of a renewed push<\/a> to end Russia\u2019s more than three-year war in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump, feeling victorious after securing a ceasefire<\/a> in the Middle East, projected optimism about ending the war that he once proclaimed<\/a> he could resolve in one day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the mediator president, and I\u2019m mediating a not easy situation,\u201d Trump said. “It should be easy.” <\/p>\n

The meeting, held as a working lunch with Trump and Zelensky sitting across from each other, was initially carried out in front of the press without any major explosions between the two sides. This was likely a welcome relief after a February Oval Office meeting<\/a> escalated into a shouting match among Trump, Vice President Vance and Zelensky.<\/p>\n

But while Trump previously expressed increasing frustration<\/a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin and confidence that Ukraine could possibly regain all territory occupied by Russia, he tempered his stance Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they’re both doing a great job\u201d at negotiating, Trump said.\u00a0\u201cWe have to get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are five takeaways from the meeting: <\/p>\n

Trump pours cold water on Ukraine’s Tomahawks push<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump appeared to dismiss Ukraine\u2019s push to acquire<\/a> long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, saying it is not \u201ceasy\u201d for Washington to provide the munitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy for us to give \u2026 you\u2019re talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons,\u201d the president told reporters<\/a> at the White House.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, that\u2019s one of the things we\u2019ll be talking about. Hopefully, they won\u2019t need it. Hopefully, we\u2019ll be able to get the war over with, without thinking about Tomahawks,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

The potential delivery of Tomahawk missiles has become a point of discussion after Trump signaled his openness<\/a> to sending the weapons to Ukraine last weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv would not only rely on the missiles in its war against Russia, indicating that Ukraine could dispatch \u201cthousands\u201d of its drones to the U.S. in a swap for U.S.-made long-range missiles, which are typically launched from submarines and warships.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut [the] U.S. is a very strong production and the U.S. has Tomahawks and other missiles, very strong missiles, but they can have our thousands of drones,\u201d Zelensky added. \u201cThat\u2019s why, where we can work together, where we can strengthen American production.\u201d<\/p>\n

Military experts told The Hill this week<\/a> the missiles, which can fly at high subsonic speeds and at low heights to evade radars, would equip Ukraine with the increased range and capability to hit Russian military targets and continue its strikes on the Kremlin\u2019s energy facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump said Friday the U.S. is interested in Kyiv\u2019s drones and complimented Ukraine on its production of unmanned aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of drones right now. We build our own drones, but we also buy drones from others, and they make a very good drone,\u201d Trump said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the press conference following his meeting with Trump, Zelensky said \u201cnobody canceled this topic, we have to work on it more,\u201d about the possible Tomahawks acquisition. <\/p>\n

Trump, Zelensky offer conflicting views on Putin’s desire for peace<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump offered an optimistic view on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, building on what he views as momentum after negotiating a ceasefire<\/a> between Israel and Hamas earlier this month.<\/p>\n

The president pointed to a phone call<\/a> he held with Putin on Thursday, during which he said the talk yielded progress on Moscow wanting to make a deal.<\/p>\n

Zelensky offered a starkly different view Friday, arriving from Ukraine after Russia launched one of its largest missile strikes<\/a> against the country and pointing to Putin refusing to cease fire<\/a> despite Trump\u2019s demands<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that, yes, we understand that Putin is not ready, I think not ready. But I’m confident that with your help, we can stop this war, and we really need it,\u201d Zelensky said. <\/p>\n

The Ukrainian leader said he believes the Middle East ceasefire does provide a possible opportunity to make progress on ending Russia\u2019s war, adding that he is ready to meet Putin \u2014 an offer the Kremlin has refused. <\/p>\n

Zelensky said security guarantees for Ukraine are key to reaching an enduring peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing for people in Ukraine, which are under each day’s attack, to have really strong security guarantees,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Zelensky gets a compliment on his wardrobe<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Ukrainian president received a compliment<\/a> from Trump during their White House meeting after sporting a dark suit jacket over one of his trademark dark shirts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think he looks beautiful in this jacket. It\u2019s beautiful. I hope people notice. It\u2019s very stylish,\u201d the president said of Zelensky\u2019s outfit. <\/p>\n

Zelensky faced criticism from some<\/a> on the right after not wearing a jacket during his February visit to the White House, which devolved into a shouting match.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zelensky wore a coat and a matching shirt, but not a tie, during his meeting with Trump at the White House in August<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Zelensky, you look fabulous in that suit,\u201d Brian Glenn, the chief White House reporter for the conservative Real America\u2019s Voice outlet, said at the time. <\/p>\n

\u201cI said the same thing,\u201d Trump said in August. \u201cAnd he\u2019s the one that attacked you last time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump rips Spain over defense spending <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Trump ripped into Spain on Friday for not committing to bolster<\/a> its defense spending to 5 percent of its gross domestic product, which allies agreed to<\/a> at a NATO summit in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpain has not been loyal to NATO. Spain has been \u2026 they’re the only one \u2014 everyone went up to, as you know. I mean, you were 2 percent, and they all went up to 5 percent, but Spain disagreed with that,\u201d the president said. \u201cI think Spain should be reprimanded for that.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s very bad that they did that, but that’s up to them,\u201d Trump added. \u201cThat’s up to NATO and Spain.\u201d <\/p>\n

Spain secured an exemption from NATO\u2019s<\/a> increased defense spending goal, pointing to financial concerns.\u00a0 Earlier this week, Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Spain over the lower defense spending.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said last week that Madrid is \u201cnot worried\u201d about the potential removal from the NATO alliance. <\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that President Trump must know that Spain is one of the committed and loyal [NATO] allies,\u201d Robles said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump drops f-bomb on Maduro question<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most explosive moment<\/a> of the lunch meeting ended up having nothing to do with Ukraine, but instead Trump\u2019s escalating confrontation with Venezuelan strongman Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn’t want to f\u2011\u2011\u2011 around with the U.S.,” Trump said, abruptly ending the press portion of his meeting with Zelensky.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trump’s remarks provided a rare insight into the president losing his cool. The last time he lost his temper publicly was during the infamous February Oval Office spat with Zelensky, which led to a brief rupture in U.S. and Ukrainian relations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although Zelensky escaped Trump\u2019s ire this time, the president\u2019s frustration with Maduro signals that U.S. military operations in the Caribbean Sea may escalate. <\/p>\n

The U.S. carried out its sixth attack on what it describes as drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela. The strike, which Trump said targeted a drug-carrying submarine, is reported to have survivors<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first five boat strikes have killed at least 27 people, according to the Trump administration. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI don’t know too many people that have submarines.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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