U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday after Zelenskyy suggested that the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine was still “very, very far away.” Trump’s comments came amid growing pressure from his allies, who are urging Zelenskyy to alter his approach to the U.S. president, who has made ending the war quickly a top priority, or step aside.
The relationship between the two leaders has reached a low point, following a tense meeting at the White House in which Trump and Vice-President JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for not expressing enough gratitude for U.S. support since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Trump expressed his frustration in a post on his Truth Social platform, calling Zelenskyy’s statement the “worst” he could have made. “America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump added, criticizing Zelenskyy’s remarks about the difficulty of reaching an agreement to end the war.
During an interview in London on Sunday, Zelenskyy had discussed the slow progress in establishing a European initiative to end the war, stating, “An agreement to end the war is still very, very far away, and no one has started all these steps yet.” Despite trying to remain positive about U.S.-Ukraine relations after the White House meeting, his comments further irritated Trump.
Trump argued that Zelenskyy’s statement showed he wasn’t seeking peace as long as he had America’s backing. He also criticized Europe for suggesting they could not handle the situation without U.S. involvement, questioning the strategy in dealing with Russia.
In response to the criticism, Zelenskyy took to social media, stressing the importance of diplomatic efforts to bring the war to an end as soon as possible. While not directly addressing Trump, he emphasized that Ukraine desperately needs peace. “We need real peace, and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns,” he wrote. “We lose our people. We need to stop the war and guarantee security.”
The tension between the U.S. and Zelenskyy has raised doubts about Ukraine’s future relations with the U.S. Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, said Zelenskyy’s stance during recent talks had cast uncertainty on whether he would be a reliable partner for the U.S. “Is he ready, politically, to move his country towards an end to the fighting?” Waltz asked, adding that Zelenskyy would need to make compromises for peace.
Other Trump allies have also voiced concerns. House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Zelenskyy to “come to his senses” and show gratitude or allow someone else to lead Ukraine toward a peace deal. Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine, suggested Zelenskyy should either resign or change his approach in order to move forward with negotiations.
Amid these tensions, experts believe Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be eager to end the war, as the rift between the U.S. and Zelenskyy could benefit Russia. Angela Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, noted that Putin likely sees the situation as favorable for Russia, believing the West will become more divided over time. “He thinks Russia is winning,” Stent said, adding that Putin is in no rush to bring the conflict to a close
