US President Donald Trump on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington DC, where the two leaders discussed ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump, who recently played a pivotal role in brokering a Gaza ceasefire, said he believed momentum was building for a peace settlement in Eastern Europe. Zelenskyy said the Gaza ceasefire had given Trump the “momentum” to work towards ending the war with Russia.
During the meeting, Trump described Zelenskyy as “a very strong leader” who had “endured a lot,” emphasising that both countries had faced immense challenges over the past years. “It’s an honour to be with a very strong leader, President Zelensky of Ukraine, who has endured a lot. We’ve endured it with him,” Trump said.
VIDEO | Washington DC: US President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral lunch with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 17, 2025
Donald Trump (@POTUS) says, “…It's an honor to be with a very strong leader, President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, who has endured a lot. We've endured it… pic.twitter.com/pDhhVKyWxY
The US President added that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin a day earlier and believed “great progress” was being made. “I have had a big call with President Putin yesterday, and I think we’re making great progress. We want to finish this, end it, and prevent further loss of life,” he said.
VIDEO | Washington DC: During bilateral lunch with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump responds to a media query about his yesterday’s phone call with Vladimir Putin.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 17, 2025
Donald Trump (@POTUS) says, “…I think that President Putin wants to end the war,… pic.twitter.com/9fcQSNIvzU
Trump also drew a comparison between the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the recent peace efforts in the Middle East, highlighting his administration’s ability to achieve consensus in complex negotiations. “They (President Zelenskyy and President Putin) don’t like each other. I say that in front of President Zelenskyy, but I say it in front of President Putin, too. They have tremendous bad blood. It really is holding up, I think, a settlement. I think we’re going to get it done. And we have to make it long-lasting, as I said in the Middle East, everlasting. The Middle East is a much more complicated situation. We had 59 countries involved, and every one of them agreed. Most people didn’t think that was doable,” Trump said.
#WATCH | US President Trump participates in a bilateral lunch with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2025
President Trump says, "...They (President Zelenskyy and President Putin) don't like each other. I say that in front of President Zelenskyy, but I say it in front of… pic.twitter.com/YOdySO99az
Trump also highlighted his record in conflict mediation, claiming to have “solved eight wars” and emphasising his focus on saving lives over personal recognition. “Go to Rwanda and the Congo, talk about India and Pakistan,” he said, adding that while others received the Nobel Prize, “I don’t care about all that stuff. I just care about saving lives.” Calling the Russia-Ukraine effort his potential “number nine,” Trump said he had “saved tens of millions of lives” and pledged to keep pursuing peace “to stop people from being killed.”
#WATCH | US President Trump says, "I solved eight wars. Go to Rwanda and the Congo, talk about India and Pakistan. Look at all of the wars that we solved, and every time I solved, when they say If you solve the next one, you're gonna get the Nobel Prize. I didn't get a Nobel… pic.twitter.com/EWDq3EgApZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2025
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, noted that while peace remains elusive, Trump’s recent diplomatic success in Gaza could serve as a catalyst. “With the Gaza ceasefire, President Trump now has momentum to stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he remarked. He also suggested Ukraine was open to exploring deeper defence and energy cooperation with the United States, saying he was “interested in trading Ukrainian military drones for Tomahawk missiles” and wanted to “interest President Trump in an energy deal.”
Zelenskyy added that despite ongoing talks, he believed “President Putin is not ready for peace” at this stage.
