The United States President, Donald Trump, has said that Volodymyr Zelensky, his Ukrainian counterpart, is not prepared for peace.
Following a heated argument during a Friday meeting between him and Zelensky, Trump made a statement on social media.
While the two leaders were talking about ways to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Trump claimed that Zelensky had insulted the “United States of America in its Cherished Oval Office.”
“He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” the US president added.
During the Oval Office meeting, Trump warned Zelensky that Ukraine had to “make a deal with the US, or it would end its support”.
“Your people are very brave, but you’re either going to make a deal or we’re out, and if we’re out, you’ll fight it out,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s going to be pretty, but you’ll fight it out, but you don’t have the cards.”
After the Ukrainian president objected to US Vice-President JD Vance’s remark that “the path to peace” is to engage in negotiation with Russia, the meeting’s tone worsened.
“You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” Vance told the Ukrainian president.
He added that Ukraine faces serious problems in its war effort.
Zelensky responded by saying the US experiences its own problems, and Trump jumped in, saying, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III”
“And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country. Your country is in big trouble.”
When Zelensky tried to respond, Trump interjected, saying: “No, no. You’ve done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning this. You have a damn good chance of coming out OK because of us.”
“We had a very meaningful meeting in the White House today,” he added.
Following the meeting, Trump wrote on social media that he had learnt a lot that would never be comprehended without discussion when under such strain and scrutiny.
“It’s amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,” he wrote.
“I don’t want advantage, I want peace. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.”
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Ahead of the Friday meeting between the two leaders, Trump had labelled Zelensky a dictator with a shattered country.
According to the US president, Zelenskyy’s main skill was manipulating former President Joe Biden “like a fiddle.”
Trump resumed the criticism of his Ukrainian counterpart after Zelensky said the US president was “trapped” in a Russian “disinformation bubble”.
Zelenskyy was reacting to Trump’s allegations that Ukraine was to blame for Russia’s 2022 invasion.
