That's what it's about

• The meeting between Trump and Zelensky in Washington was chaotic.
• Trump urged Zelensky to accept Russian demands for an end to the war.
• European diplomats confirm Trump's adoption of Putin's narrative.

The meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday is said to have escalated again, similar to the meeting in February, after which Trump expelled Zelensky from the White House.

According to a Financial Times report, Trump has called on Zelensky to accept Russia's conditions for ending the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin told him he would destroy Ukraine if it did not agree to an agreement, Trump reportedly said.

Several people familiar with the meeting described the conversation as loud and chaotic. Trump cursed and threw around maps of the front lines. He also insisted that Zelensky cede the entire Donbas region to Russia. He reportedly repeated Putin's arguments verbatim, which he had put forward in a phone conversation the previous day.

Trump advised Zelensky to make a deal

Although the newspaper report later stated that Trump endorsed a ceasefire along the current front lines, observers said the meeting highlighted his volatile stance in the Ukraine war. Zelensky traveled to the US hoping to secure commitments for Tomahawk cruise missiles – a request Trump rejected.

According to the Financial Times, European diplomats briefed on the meeting reported that Trump adopted Putin's narrative that the war was merely a special operation. He advised Zelensky to make a deal, or Putin will destroy him.