At unusual military meet, Trump says he wants to get Putin, Zelenskyy together | World News

US President Donald Trump told military commanders on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should meet to try to end the war in Ukraine.Speaking at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, Trump said he sees himself as a peacemaker but admitted that conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza were still ongoing despite his adminration’s mediation efforts, Reuters reported.
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“Putin and Zelenskyy need to get together,” Trump said, according to Reuters.

Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday convened an unusual meeting of senior American military commanders at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, Reuters reported.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and US military senior leadership len as President Donald Trump speaks at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Quantico, Va. (AP Photo)

The commanders, summoned from across the United States and overseas bases, were told little in advance about the agenda. Trump said he would use the gathering to tell them “we love them” and described it as an “esprit de corps” event.

early morning, the auditorium was filled with uniformed leaders seated before a stage set with a large US flag, a lectern, and signs reading “Strength Service America.”

The meeting follows months of significant changes at the Pentagon under Trump, including the dismissal of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy’s top admiral, new restrictions on academy libraries, and military strikes on drug boats off Venezuela.

These moves have fuelled speculation that the gathering could involve more than morale-building, with possible discussions on reducing the ranks of senior officers and revising US defence priorities.

“It’s anyone’s guess” what will ultimately be discussed, one US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Quantico, Va. (AP)

Military leaders are expected to face scrutiny over how they respond if Trump makes political remarks. The US military is formally bound to remain apolitical and loyal to the Constitution, not to any political party.

The meeting comes a day after Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, following earlier moves to send forces to Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, despite objections from local officials.

“I want to tell the generals that we love them, they’re cherished leaders, to be strong, be tough and be smart and be compassionate,” Trump told Reuters in an interview on Sunday.

Hegseth, a former television host, is also expected to address the meeting. He has repeatedly emphasised what he calls the “warrior ethos,” a theme he is likely to revisit in his remarks.

Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” restoring the title it held until after the Second World War.

Hegseth has moved quickly to implement Trump’s national security agenda and to roll back diversity programmes he has criticised as discriminatory.