Trump: Ukraine to receive weapons, but “hopefully we won’t have to send much”

Tensions emerged during the White House meeting when President Zelensky rejected territorial compromises with Russia while Trump emphasized quick diplomatic solutions.

Feb 28, 2025 - 20:00

Trump: Ukraine to receive weapons, but “hopefully we won’t have to send much”

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US President Donald Trump confirmed Ukraine will receive weapons but also claimed that US not looking forward to sending a lot of arms during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on 28 February.

When asked by a BBC journalist if Trump said “The answer is yes. But hopefully we won’t have to send much because I’m looking forward to getting it done quickly.”

The Ukrainian president arrived at the White House on 28 Feb. to sign a minerals agreement with Trump. During their meeting, Zelenskyy showed Trump photos of Ukrainian prisoners held in Russian captivity.

Zelenskyy told Trump that territorial compromises with Vladimir Putin, whom he called “a killer and terrorist,” were impossible.

The meeting reportedly included a heated argument about the Russia-Ukraine war. US Secretary of State Mike Vance stated that the war should be resolved through diplomacy. Zelenskyy responded that he had previously signed an agreement with Putin in the presence of the French president and German chancellor, but Putin disrupted the deal more than 20 times and laucnhed a full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Ukrainian president warned that if a bad agreement were signed between Russia and Ukraine, the United States would “feel it.” According to reports, Trump and Vance objected to this statement, responding “we’ll be fine” and adding that Zelenskyy had no right to impose his opinion.

During the conversation, the leaders also mentioned former US President Barack Obama. Trump claimed Obama gave Ukraine nothing, while he had provided Javelin anti-tank missile systems.

Trump also reportedly told Zelensky he had no cards to play, to which Zelenskyy responded that he “didn’t come here to play cards.”

After the meeting at the White House, the presidents should have had a joint press conference and signed the minerals agreement. However, the press conference has been canceled and Zelenskyy left the White House.

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