Trump agrees ‘Russia is not winning’ in Ukraine and is open to ‘help us more,’ Zelensky says

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – President Trump is “positive” the US can do more to help Ukraine as the tide of its war against Russia turns in Kyiv’s favor, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.

Zelensky and European leaders, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, pushed Trump to send more weapons to Ukraine and take a harder line with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the second day of the G7 summit.

President Trump even agreed to a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky, which was not originally on his schedule.

“Russia should make a deal. Russia has lost tremendous amounts of people. So has Ukraine,” the chief executive said.

That was the message Europe wanted to hear after telling Trump that months of Ukrainian technological advances and counterattacks had slowed Russian advances and reduced Moscow’s manpower advantage on the battlefield.

The president, who had initially ignored Zelensky at the start of the group meeting, spent an hour after its conclusion talking with both the Ukrainian and Macron.

“We had unanimity that Russia is not winning,” Zelensky later told a summit hosted by Reuters, adding that Trump “was very positive that he can help us more on missiles.”

The president had delayed sales of Patriot missiles to Kyiv as he encouraged Zelensky to cede land to Russia as part of a potential truce.

Zelensky also said he encouraged the president to arrange peace talks between Ukraine and Russia “before the winter.” 

“Look, we have nothing to do with it,” Trump said following the leaders’ meeting. “It has no impact on us, other than we sell weapons … We’re thousands of miles away.”

But, in a sign that the new message of Ukraine being a winner had gotten through, Trump told reporters he was willing to reinstate sanctions on Russia.

His administration gave the Kremlin a one month waiver to allow countries to buy Russian oil in a move to reduce the economic impact of the war with Iran. 

But Trump said the sanctions would return “soon” because “the oil is now flowing” thanks to the Iran peace deal.

Ahead of the Ukraine meeting, European leaders plotted to convince Trump to support a peace deal on Kyiv’s terms, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“There was real unity in the room about the fact that Ukraine is doing better now, regaining territory, that the sanctions are having a real impact on Russia, and a real sense that now is the moment for all of us as a G7 to ramp up the pressure,” he said. 

The coordination began early in the day, when Macron and Zelensky were caught on a hot mic as they walked the grounds of the Hotel Royal discussing the best way to approach the American president.

Speaking in English, Macron briefed Zelensky that “yesterday, we had a difficult discussion with President Trump” before asking the Ukrainian president if he had arranged a face-to-face meeting.

Zelensky indicated he had not, adding that he had asked for one when he spoke to Trump on Sunday to wish him a happy 80th birthday.

“OK,” Macron answered. “I will arrange that.”