Washington, Oct 18 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House, shortly after a lengthy phone discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following their meeting, Trump shared his thoughts on Truth Social, describing his encounter with Zelensky as "very interesting and cordial".

"The gathering with President Zelensky was very intriguing and amicable, but I expressed to him, as I did to President Putin, that it is time to cease the violence and strike a deal!" he posted.

Trump further urged both leaders to "halt where they are" and "claim victory".

"They should cease their current positions. Let both declare victory and allow history to judge! No more gunfire, no more casualties, no more enormous and unsustainable financial expenditures. This conflict would never have erupted if I were in charge. Thousands are losing their lives weekly—stop now and return home to your families peacefully!" he insisted.

In statements to the press before the bilateral meeting, Trump seemed to backtrack from his previous stance on supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, stating, "I would prefer if they did not require Tomahawks."

"We are going to discuss Tomahawks, but I would much rather they not need them. We genuinely wish for this war to conclude," he remarked.

Trump emphasized that the United States requires these missiles for its own defense.

"We need Tomahawks. Plus, we need various other resources that we've been dispatching to Ukraine over the last four years," he noted.

Nonetheless, the Ukrainian leader reiterated his request for the Tomahawks, which can reach targets up to 2,500 kilometers away, deep within Russia.

"Ukraine possesses numerous drones from our production, but we are lacking Tomahawks. This is why we require Tomahawks," the Ukrainian President asserted.

Trump and Zelensky conveyed differing perspectives on Putin's ambitions, with Trump believing that the Russian leader "desires to conclude the war," while Zelensky contended that "Putin does not wish to end it."

After his conversation with Putin on Thursday, Trump reported that he felt "substantial progress" was achieved during their phone call and announced intentions to meet the Russian leader in Budapest, Hungary.

He also disclosed that a team of senior advisors led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet next week with Russian officials to lay the groundwork for a second Trump-Putin meeting in three months.

Trump's widely discussed summit in Alaska in August ended without an agreement, prompting him to adopt a tougher stance on Russia.

Having recently succeeded in diffusing the Gaza conflict, Trump is now redirecting his focus towards the Ukraine War.

When queried whether Putin was merely attempting to buy time, Trump replied that he had been "manipulated by the best of them," but maintained he still "emerged successfully."

"I'm quite adept at these matters. I believe he wishes to finalize a deal. I've successfully negotiated eight of them. A ninth is on the way," he emphasized.

Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Gregory Meeks, criticized the US President for not providing any support for Ukraine during the meeting.

"This isn't Trump achieving peace through strength; this is weakness through appeasement," he remarked.