US Treasury chief reportedly urged Trump not to meet Zelenskyy
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allegedly urged President Donald Trump not to receive Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. At the same time, the US official reportedly used extremely offensive language in private conversations when referring to the Ukrainian leader, according to an article by The Guardian.
The book, scheduled for release next Tuesday, describes the behind-the-scenes of Trump's second presidential term. According to the authors, Scott Bessent allegedly referred to Zelenskyy in conversations with colleagues as “little fuc***”, a “special-needs child,” and “Mr Bean on cra**”.
According to the journalists, the US Treasury Secretary allegedly insisted that Trump should not allow Zelenskyy to set foot in the White House until the Ukrainian side signed the US-drafted minerals deal.
The US Treasury Department has not yet responded to journalists' requests for comment regarding these statements.
The meeting between the two leaders eventually took place on February 28, 2025, and, as the book's authors note, ended badly. Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for allegedly being ungrateful for American aid.
The book also reveals details of Bessent's visit to Kyiv to promote the aforementioned agreement. According to the authors, the negotiations escalated into a 45-minute heated argument between the US minister and the Ukrainian president.
Moreover, the document's text sparked disputes within the US administration itself — between the Treasury Department and the Commerce Department. Ultimately, Trump allegedly asked JD Vance's wife, Usha Vance (a Yale Law School graduate), to review the Ukrainian amendments to the agreement.
The issue of financial and military aid to Ukraine remains on the global political agenda and was recently actively discussed at the G7 leaders' summit in France.
On the eve of the summit, June 15, US President Donald Trump stated that after resolving the Iranian crisis, he intended to refocus on the Russian-Ukrainian war. According to him, he had very good phone conversations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin and believes both sides are open to ending the war.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov claimed that the US president allegedly expressed readiness to influence Kyiv and European allies.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side attempted to organize direct negotiations. As early as June 4, Zelenskyy sent an open letter to Putin proposing a personal meeting with the participation of the US and European countries. Later, Kyiv offered to hold this meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
Trump then supported the idea of a bilateral meeting, while the Russian dictator said he sees no point in it, and the Kremlin instead suggested that the Ukrainian president come to Moscow.
