Throwing the Map Aside, Shouting and Swearing:
"I'm Tired of This Now"
The Financial Times, a British daily, reported on October 19 (local time) that President Donald Trump of the United States warned President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine that he would face ruin if he did not accept Russia's demands.
Donald Trump, President of the United States (left), and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
According to sources, the meeting between the two leaders at the White House on October 17 escalated into repeated shouting matches, with President Trump berating President Zelensky throughout and hurling harsh expletives at him. President Trump reportedly told President Zelensky, "Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, calls this a 'special military operation,' not a war," adding, "You are losing the war. If he wants, he will destroy you."
President Trump also threw a map of the Ukrainian front lines and pressured President Zelensky to hand over the Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk) to Russia. An official stated that during the meeting, President Trump said, "I'm tired of this front line map," and tossed aside the map showing the state of the war in Ukraine. President Trump is also reported to have said, "I don't know where this red line is. I've never been there."
Previously, President Putin was said to have proposed in a call with President Trump to return parts of the occupied territories in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts to Ukraine in exchange for the complete transfer of Donetsk oblast to Russia. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has occupied only parts of the Donbas region, and the front lines have remained largely deadlocked for over two years. Ukraine has maintained its firm stance that it cannot concede the Donbas region under any circumstances.
The prevailing view is that President Putin's obsession with controlling the entire Donetsk oblast, despite already occupying three-quarters of it, is aimed at neutralizing the defensive line. The Ukrainian military is blocking the westward advance of Russian forces based on the remaining quarter of Donetsk oblast that has not been ceded to Russia. If Ukraine were to completely give up Donetsk oblast, Russian forces would have a direct route to Kyiv and a springboard for further invasions of other Eastern European countries. Pro-Russian separatists and Russia have attempted to occupy Donetsk oblast since 2014, and although they declared its annexation in September 2022, about seven months after the full-scale invasion, they have not achieved complete control.
The Financial Times interpreted the meeting as reflecting President Trump's capricious stance on the war and his willingness to align with the maximum demands from President Putin's side. The newspaper also noted that the atmosphere was similar to the White House meeting in February, when President Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized President Zelensky for not expressing enough gratitude.
The Financial Times reported that President Trump’s near-verbatim repetition of President Putin’s claims disappointed European allies who had hoped the United States might increase its support for Ukraine. A European official said, "President Zelensky had a very negative reaction after the meeting," adding, "European leaders are not optimistic, but they are preparing for the next realistic steps."
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