US President Donald Trump on Friday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, questioning his importance in negotiations regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio, Trump acknowledged that Russia attacked Ukraine but suggested that President Joe Biden and Zelensky were partly responsible for failing to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards,” Trump said about Zelensky. “He has no cards. And you get sick of it.” He further added, “I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings. He makes it very hard to make deals,” according to The Hill.
Trump also implied that Putin was open to negotiating but did not necessarily need a ceasefire, suggesting that Russia could take control of all of Ukraine if it wanted.
His remarks come amid reports that Trump administration officials met Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss potential peace talks. Zelensky reportedly expressed frustration that Ukrainian officials were excluded from these discussions.
Meanwhile, Trump-backed negotiators have reportedly pushed Ukraine to accept a deal that would grant the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s rare mineral supply in exchange for security guarantees. Zelensky was said to have received little notice before being presented with the proposal.
During the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz claimed that Zelensky would soon sign the agreement, indicating a possible shift in Ukraine’s diplomatic stance.
Following his radio interview, Trump reiterated his stance during remarks to a bipartisan group of governors at the White House, stating, “I’ve had very good talks with Putin,” but “not such good talks with Ukraine.”
As Russia’s full-scale invasion enters its third year, tensions remain high over U.S. support for Ukraine, with Trump growing increasingly critical of Zelensky, recently referring to him as a “dictator without elections.”