"War sure ain't a walk in the park" - Trump chats with Zelenskyy, moved by Ukraine's struggle
Trump engages in a conversation with Zelensky, expressing his profound interest in Ukraine's affairs
World leaders gather in The Netherlands, deciding to up their defense spending. In this mix, US President Donald Trump catches up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Things seem to be looking up between them. The big cheese, Putin, is still up for discussion.
Trump ponders whether Putin's ambitions stretch beyond Ukraine's borders. He dropped this during a press conference following the NATO summit in The Hague. He plans to give Putin a ring soon, he says.
Trump also sat down with his Ukrainian counterpart, Zelenskyy, in The Hague. "We had a smashing meeting. It was quite cordial," Trump said, giving a thumbs up to Zelenskyy. "He's battling a rough war," he added. Trump also expresses his desire to chat with Putin about wrapping up the conflict. "I think it's high time to bring it to an end. I'll have a natter with Vladimir to see if we can wrap it up."
Trump tags Zelenskyy as an "awkward chat partner." He also points out the toll the war has taken on both sides. Still, ending it seems tougher than he initially thought, the US president said. "War ain't a walk in the park, Putin's a tough nut."
Zelenskyy shares his side of the story, saying they had a "lengthy and substantial meeting with President Trump." Both discussed how a ceasefire and a "fair peacemaking" could be reached, Zelenskyy notes on Twitter. He thanks Trump for his attention and willingness to bring peace closer. Later, Zelenskyy added that they've talked about the potential for coproducing drones. "We can help each other," Zelenskyy stated. Most importantly, he reveals they spoke about Ukraine's intention to purchase US air defense systems. "Ukraine's ready to pony up for this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers."
A Ukrainian journalist's predicament confronts Trump
At the press conference, Trump asked a Ukrainian journalist about her personal situation. She actually queried about military aid for Ukraine. When she disclosed she was from Ukraine, Trump wanted to know more: "You live in Ukraine yourself?"
When the reporter said she was currently living in Warsaw with her kids, but her husband was there and he was a soldier, Trump responded: "That's rough." He could see how emotional she was and said: "I'm pulling for you. I can see how it hits home. Give my regards to your husband."
This was the second time Trump and Zelenskyy chatted since their rocky meeting in the White House in February. "We had a tough time," Trump said, now praising Zelenskyy highly. In the Oval Office, Trump had bashed the Ukrainian president and abruptly ended the meeting. Afterwards, they met again on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican in April.
Sources: ntv.de, mpa/dpa/rts
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- Vladimir Putin
- Donald Trump
- NATO
- The Hague
- Attack on Ukraine
- Ukraine Conflict
- Russia
- Ukraine
Extra Details 💡:
- The current state of discussions about the Ukraine conflict involves ongoing diplomatic talks between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Vladimir Putin. These discussions have been complicated, and a prompt resolution hasn't been achieved.
- On June 25, 2025, during the NATO summit in The Hague, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a "lengthy and substantial" meeting, where they discussed Ukraine's intentions to purchase more US weapons, including American air defense systems and potential joint drone production to strengthen their countermeasures against Russian aggression.
- Trump noted Zelenskyy's "brave" and "tough" fight against Russia and pressed Vladimir Putin to end the war. However, Trump also mentioned that dealing with Zelenskyy himself had been challenging, and ending the conflict seemed tougher than initially thought due to Putin's stubbornness.
- Trump confidentially revealed that Putin had called him offering help to settle both the Middle East conflict and the situation in Ukraine. Trump stressed the need to resolve the Ukraine war, describing the situation as a "mess" for Putin, although stressing that negotiations were "more difficult than anyone had thought."
- Trump also indicated he was keeping communication lines open with Putin and noted that he had not levied any additional sanctions against Russia to keep open the possibility for negotiations. The administration aims to engage Russia diplomatically, despite Moscow's belief in gaining territory on the battlefield.
- The European Union, committed to the implementation of the EU's nuclear programme, expresses concern about the ongoing Ukraine conflict, with politics surrounding the resolution of the war-and-conflicts becoming a general-news feature, while crime-and-justice issues are also intertwined.
- Despite the challenging negotiations and the "awkward chat partner" label, it is reported that President Donald Trump plans to continue discussions with both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, with the aim of resolving the Ukraine conflict and potentially broaching topics such as coproducing drones and Ukraine's intention to purchase US air defense systems.
