Trump makes new sharp remarks on Zelenskyy and Ukraine war: What he said
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has once again criticized President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He specifically stated that he does not consider Zelenskyy's presence at negotiations and meetings regarding the end of the Russia-Ukraine war to be necessary.
RBC-Ukraine cites Trump’s key statements in an interview with Fox Radio.
Contents:
- Zelenskyy "has no cards” and he is not very important to be at meetings
- Putin wants to make a deal, but "he doesn’t have to"
- Russia is responsible for the war, but Zelenskyy and Biden are also to blame
- Trip to Kyiv for mineral deal was a "waste of time"
- Europe has done nothing to end the war in Ukraine
Zelenskyy "has no cards” and he is not very important to be at meetings
Trump claims he had "very good talks" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he "had not such good talks with Ukraine".
“They don't have any cards, but they play it tough. But we're not going to let this continue," he said.
At the same time, the US President doesn't consider Volodymyr Zelenskyy important enough to be present at the meetings.
"I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it. And I've had it. He's been at a meeting for three years, and nothing got done. So, I don't think it's very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He makes it very hard to make deals," Trump added.
At the same time, it remains unclear what meetings he was referring to over the past three years.
Putin wants to make a deal, but "he doesn’t have to"
Trump is currently facing criticism for leaving Ukraine and Europe out of peace negotiations. This refers to a meeting with a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, after which concerns arose that Washington might pressure Kyiv into making concessions for a Russian-American agreement.
Other Western leaders believe that Putin has no desire to make peace, but Trump made it clear he views the situation differently. He said Putin wants to make a deal and added: "He doesn't have to make a deal. Because if he wanted, he would get the whole country".
Russia is responsible for the war, but Zelenskyy and Biden are also to blame
When host Brian Kilmeade stated that Putin was responsible for the war, Trump responded: "I get tired of listening to it". However, he ultimately acknowledged Russia's responsibility for the attack, but also placed blame on Zelenskyy and the Biden administration.
"Russia attacked. But there was no reason for them to attack,” said the President.
“And I will tell you, Putin could have been talked out of that so easy, but they didn’t know how to talk," he added.
This statement came after Kilmeade repeatedly tried to clarify if Trump agreed that Moscow's invasion was unjustified.
In response, Trump delivered his usual speech, claiming that Russia wouldn’t have invaded if he had been in office. He argued that his predecessor mishandled negotiations with Russia.
"Biden said the wrong things. Zelenskyy said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger," Trump said.
Trip to Kyiv for mineral deal was a "waste of time"
Trump also called US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s visit to Kyiv last week a "waste of time." Bessent was supposed to negotiate a deal for access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, but the Ukrainian side rejected the proposal due to a lack of future security guarantees.
"Frankly, I wish he didn't go there, waste all of his time like that," Trump said.
Notably, Western media report that the Trump administration has submitted a revised version of the deal. Key disagreements are expected to be resolved later this week.
Europe has done nothing to end the war in Ukraine
Donald Trump criticized European leaders, claiming that French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have done nothing to stop the war.
He described Macron as a good friend and Starmer as a "nice guy," but insisted that Russia came to the negotiating table only "because of me."
His remarks come ahead of planned meetings in Washington - Macron on Monday and Starmer on Thursday - as European leaders seek answers on what security guarantees they can offer Ukraine.
Unlike Trump, his special envoy Keith Kellogg had a positive impression of talks with Zelenskyy, calling him a courageous leader of a nation at war.
As for Zelenskyy, after stating that Trump is trapped in a web of misinformation, he has refrained from making harsh statements. Instead, he has instructed officials to work very carefully on a resource deal with the US.
