Seething Trump launches fresh attack on Zelensky
US President Donald Trump has ramped up his dispute with Ukraine’s leader, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting peace and warning that “America will not put up with it for much longer”.
Trump launched the fresh attack on Zelensky — and had a dig at Europe’s recent summit on the Ukraine war — on Tuesday morning (AEDT) with a post on Truth Social.
He shared an article by AP News in which Zelensky is quoted saying that peace with Russia is “very, very far away”.
“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy,” Trump wrote.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.”
Trump went on to say that Europe had admitted at a weekend summit of leaders in London with Zelensky that it could not reach peace without the US.
“Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” Trump said.
You might like
In an extraordinary meeting that was broadcast live on Saturday (AEDT), Trump accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US aid, of showing disrespect to his country and of risking World War III.
However, Zelensky has said he is confident of salvaging the relationship with Trump.
He said he was still willing to sign a minerals deal with the US and described a discussion on Sunday with European leaders to send a draft peace plan to the US as a key development.
Zelensky has reiterated, however, that Ukraine will not concede any territory to Russia as part of a peace deal.
The Ukraine leader seemed in good spirits at the weekend summit in London and thanked European countries for their support.
He was careful to balance his dismay with the events in the Oval Office with a clear desire to keep talking with Washington.
Zelensky said he did not think the US would stop its assistance to Ukraine, because as “leaders of the civilised world” they would not want to help Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But he said he remained prepared for any outcome.
“As regards salvaging the relationship, I think our relationship will continue,” Zelensky said.
“I do not think it’s right when such discussions are totally open. … The format of what happened, I don’t think it brought something positive or additional to us as partners.”
Stay informed, daily
A visibly shaken Zelensky arrived in London on Saturday where he was met with a warm embrace from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and cheering from supporters around Downing Street.
At the summit Starmer said European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to take to the US, in the hope that Washington would offer the security guarantees Kyiv says are vital to deter Russia.
Starmer urged European leaders to join the so-called “coalition of the willing” alongside France and the UK, aimed at keeping the peace if the Ukraine war is brought to a negotiated end.
Starmer said the leaders had agreed to “meet again very soon” to continue work on the plans.
“We are at a crossroads in history today,” he said.
“This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead, and to unite, around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”
Starmer announced a £1.6 billion ($3.2 billion) deal that would allow Ukraine to purchase 5000 air-defence missiles using export finance, following the gathering at Lancaster House in central London.
The abrupt ending to Zelensky’s Washington trip meant that the two countries failed to sign a much-vaunted minerals deal that Kyiv hoped would spur Trump to back Ukraine’s war effort, but Zelensky said Ukraine was still willing to sign it.
“We agreed upon signing it; and we were ready to sign it. And honestly I believe the United States would be ready as well,” he said.
Trump had sought to cast the minerals deal as a way for Ukraine, which is home to a trove of lithium deposits and rare earth minerals, to repay the US for its billions of dollars in aid.
While Zelensky sought to avoid any further antagonism of the US, saying he did not want to go over what had happened, he was more forceful on any future ceasefire deal, saying Ukraine would not hand sovereignty of occupied Ukrainian land to Russia.
“Everyone needs to understand that Ukraine will never recognise whatever is occupied by Russia as Russian territories,” he said.
“We hope that these security guarantees will make it 100 per cent impossible to give Russia the opportunity to come with another aggression”.
Zelensky said there had been contact between Kyiv and Washington since Friday’s bust-up, although not at his level, and asked if he had considered resigning, he showed no sign of wavering.
– with AAP
