US President Donald Trump on Monday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s recent remarks on the war with Russia, warning that Washington would not tolerate such rhetoric much longer.
“This is the worst statement Zelenskiy could have made, and America will not tolerate it for much longer,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to Zelenskiy’s comments that the war with Moscow was far from over.
Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of resisting peace efforts as long as he had US support. “This guy doesn’t want peace as long as America has his back,” he said.
The US president also took aim at European leaders who met Zelenskiy in London over the weekend, arguing that their admission of dependence on the US weakened their stance against Russia. “Probably not a great statement to make in terms of showing strength against Russia. What are they thinking?” Trump remarked.
Following Trump’s remarks, Zelenskiy emphasized the need for “substantive diplomacy” to end the three-year conflict and expressed hope for continued US support. “It is crucial that our diplomatic efforts are meaningful and help bring the war to a swift conclusion,” Zelenskiy posted on X. “We are working closely with America and our European partners and strongly hope for US backing on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible.”
Trump’s strong response followed a tense White House meeting on Friday between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskiy. The talks turned confrontational when Trump and Vance accused Zelenskiy of being ungrateful for US military assistance. Zelenskiy, in turn, insisted on US security guarantees as part of any ceasefire. The heated exchange ended with Zelenskiy being asked to leave the White House, and a key deal granting the US preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources remained unsigned.
Trump is now set to meet his top advisors to discuss the administration’s next steps on Ukraine, according to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The White House did not confirm a report by Axios suggesting Trump was considering halting all military aid to Kyiv following the dispute.
Meanwhile, European leaders, who have proposed peacekeepers to oversee a potential ceasefire while seeking US assurances, met in London on Sunday to address the crisis.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday regarding the London discussions. According to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, Rubio reiterated that the United States remains open to negotiations to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict and will continue cooperating with the UK to achieve peace.
