Ukraine does not plan to surrender any unoccupied territories to Russia as part of peace agreement to end the full-scale war, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview broadcast on Oct. 19.
The comments come shortly after Zelensky’s latest White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who called on Russia and Ukraine to end the war immediately “at the battle line.”
“I understand that we have to finish this war … from the place where soldiers stay, from the contact line, as I understood correctly,” Zelensky told NBC’s Kristen Welker, on the same day as his meeting with Trump.
“If we want to stop this war and to go to peace negotiations, urgently and in a diplomatic way, we need to stay where we stay, not to give something additional to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin because he wants —because’s he’s a terrorist.”
In a Truth Social post published directly after his conversation with Zelensky, Trump wrote that Kyiv and Moscow should make a deal “with the property lines being defined by war and guts.”
The Washington Post later reported, citing two senior U.S. officials, that Putin has demanded that Ukraine hand over full control of Donetsk Oblast to Russia as a condition for ending the war.
Zelensky also said any peace negotiations must take place during a ceasefire.
“Not under missiles, not under drones,” he said.
Russia has dramatically intensified large-scale aerial attacks against Ukrainian cities in 2025. The uptick in mass strikes coincides with Trump’s return to office, but Zelensky attributed the increase to Russia’s expanded production capablitiles and assistance from allies such as North Korea, China, and Iran, rather than changes in the White House.
The escalating aerial campaigns are also a response to Russia’s battlefield losses, Zelensky said.
“On the battlefield (Putin’s) not winning, that’s why he really escalates air strikes,” Zelensky said, adding that the Kremlin hopes to cause an “energy disaster” in Ukraine by targeting critical infrastructure ahead of winter.
Russia’s reliance on combined missile and drone strikes highlights Ukraine’s need for long-range weapons and stronger air defenses, Zelensky said. While Russia attacks Ukraine with long-range missiles, including some provided by North Korea, Ukraine relies on its domestically produced drones to hit Russian military targets.
U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles would help Ukraine level the playing field, Zelensky said.
Trump did not greenlight Tomahawks for Kyiv during the Oct. 17 meeting, which Zelensky called a “disappointment.”
“It’s good that President Trump didn’t say no — but for today didn’t say yes,” Zelensky said said. He added that he “counts on continuation of this dialogue” with Trump.
Trump plans to hold a bilateral summit with Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks. Zelensky has not been invited to participate in the talks. Speaking to NBC, Zelensky said he was “ready” for any format of peace talks with Putin and Trump.
