Trump says Ukraine war ‘nasty’ but still solvable as Zelenskyy touts Patriot deal
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday (Oct 20) that ending the war in Ukraine remained possible despite what he called a “nasty” conflict between two leaders who “truly hate each other,” as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described his recent meeting with Trump as productive and announced progress on a major air defence deal.
“I think we’ll get there,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “But it’s turned to be nasty because you have two leaders who truly hate each other.”
Trump said the United States continued to push for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia — a war he had promised to end “immediately” upon taking office 10 months ago. He also said he had discussed Russian attacks on civilians with President Vladimir Putin during their latest phone call. “Did I tell him to stop? I did,” Trump said.
ZELENSKYY SAYS MEETING WAS “POSITIVE”
Zelenskyy, speaking to Ukrainian media, called his meeting with Trump “positive,” downplaying reports that the White House talks were tense.
“After many rounds of discussion over more than two hours with (Trump) and his team, his message, in my view, is positive — that we stand where we stand on the front line,” Zelenskyy said.
He announced that Ukraine was preparing a multi-year contract to acquire 25 Patriot air defence systems, describing it as a major step forward in strengthening the country’s defences against Russian missile attacks.
Although he failed to secure Tomahawk missiles for long-range strikes, Zelenskyy said Trump “did not want to take steps that would anger Putin” ahead of an expected summit between the two leaders.
Trump confirmed on Monday that the issue of weapons was “a little more complicated,” adding that he wanted both sides to agree to a truce. “I don’t think they will [win], but they could still win it,” Trump said of Ukraine’s prospects. “War is a very strange thing.”
LAVROV AND RUBIO DISCUSS SUMMIT PREPARATIONS
Earlier Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed preparations for the upcoming Trump–Putin summit in Budapest, both governments said.
Rubio “emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia–Ukraine war,” said Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Zelenskyy said he was open to attending the Budapest talks if invited, but criticized the venue, saying Hungary’s politics “shouldn’t influence peace talks about Ukraine.”
“If I am invited to Budapest — if it is an invitation in a format where we meet as three, or shuttle diplomacy where President Trump meets with Putin and then with me — we will agree,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the planned summit but urged that Ukraine and Europe be part of the discussions, warning against a repeat of what he called “another Budapest scenario.”
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