President Donald Trump on Monday (March 3) claimed that he is the only American leader who has not allowed Ukraine to lose territory to Russia.

Advertisment

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The only President who gave none of Ukraine’s land to Putin’s Russia is President Donald J. Trump. Remember that when the weak and ineffective Democrats criticise, and the Fake News gladly puts out anything they say!"

Also read: ‘Stand up to a powerful Russian’: Oscars host Conan O’Brien mocks Trump over ugly spat with Zelensky | Watch

Is Trump's claim true?

Advertisment

However, no US president has ever officially ceded Ukrainian land to Russia.

In another development, Trump is reportedly weighing the possibility of halting military aid to Ukraine. According to The New York Times, he is set to meet with key advisers, including Senator Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, to discuss various options. These could include blocking aid that has already been approved by the Biden administration.

Also read: ‘WEAK, TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE LOSER’: Trump rages at ex-security adviser who said he’s ‘being played’ by Putin

Advertisment

The discussions come in the wake of a tense exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday.

White House divided on Ukraine

The confrontation between Trump and Zelensky has sparked divisions within the White House, with some of Trump's advisers reportedly pushing for tougher stances against Ukraine.

Also read: ‘If he were a Democrat’: Marco Rubio says Trump would have won ‘Nobel Prize’ for Ukraine peace efforts

Trump has also conveyed to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron that he wants to see a European strategy for ending the war. He has further demanded an apology from Zelensky and a public declaration in favour of peace before allowing him back to the White House to finalise a minerals deal.

Zelensky meeting ends in heated exchange

Zelensky had travelled to Washington last week to negotiate a minerals deal, which Trump described as an important step towards a possible ceasefire. However, the meeting quickly fell apart when Zelensky suggested that Senator JD Vance visit Ukraine to witness the destruction firsthand and blamed Russia for the ongoing war.

Also read: Kremlin accuses Zelensky of not wanting peace, blames him for clash with Trump

During the public portion of the discussion, both Trump and Vance criticised Zelensky, with Vance accusing him of going on “publicity tours.” Trump told the Ukrainian leader, "You’re not really in a good position right now," while Vance challenged him, asking, "Have you said thank you once?"

The situation escalated when Trump issued an ultimatum: "Make a deal or we are out," implying that the US might withdraw its support for Kyiv.

The meeting, which was supposed to continue behind closed doors, was abruptly cut short following the confrontation. Zelensky left the White House early, and a planned press conference to announce the minerals deal was cancelled.

(With inputs from agencies)