Trump took issue with Zelenskyy suggesting it would take time to come to an agreement to end the war. The Ukrainian leader also tried to offer a positive take on the US-Ukraine relationship in the aftermath of last week’s White House meeting.
President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday for stating that the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine likely “is still very, very far away.” Trump’s rebuke underscores growing tensions between the two leaders and signals increasing pressure on Kyiv to shift its approach.
The remarks come as key Trump allies intensify pressure on Zelenskyy to either adopt a new approach toward the U.S. president—who has prioritized a swift end to the war—or step aside. Their already fraught relationship hit a low point after a tense White House meeting, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude for U.S. support since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform about the comments Zelenskyy made late Sunday while speaking to reporters in London.
The criticism follows a tense White House meeting last week, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance reportedly berated Zelenskyy for not showing enough gratitude for American aid. The fallout from that meeting has raised questions about the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations should Trump return to office.
Trump was particularly irked by Zelenskyy’s assertion that peace talks would take time. “This guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing,” Trump stated, arguing that European leaders have admitted they cannot resolve the conflict without U.S. involvement.
Zelenskyy responded on social media without directly addressing Trump’s criticism, emphasizing the urgency of diplomacy. “We need real peace, and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns,” he said. “We lose our people. We need to stop the war and guarantee security.”
Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, raised concerns over whether Zelenskyy was prepared to negotiate an end to the conflict. “Is he ready, personally and politically, to move his country towards an end to the fighting?” Waltz asked during an interview on Fox News.
Other Trump allies also voiced their frustration. House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that Zelenskyy must “come to his senses” and return to negotiations in gratitude, or Ukraine should find a new leader. Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime advocate for Ukraine, stated that Zelenskyy should either resign or adjust his approach to working with the U.S.
Meanwhile, analysts believe Russian President Vladimir Putin sees divisions among Western allies as an opportunity. Angela Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that Putin is unlikely to seek an end to the war while cracks continue to emerge between the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine.
(Inputs from AP)
