President Donald Trump lambasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, questioning the value of his presence in peace talks regarding the war in Ukraine. During an interview on Fox News Radio with Brian Kilmeade, Trump acknowledged that Russia had attacked Ukraine, but he suggested that both President Biden and Zelensky were partly to blame for failing to de-escalate the situation with Russia.
“I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it.” Trump said. “I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He makes it very hard to make deals.”
Trump implied that Russian President Vladimir Putin was open to negotiating a resolution to the war but suggested that Russia didn’t need to negotiate a ceasefire, as they could take “the whole country” if they wished. Trump also spoke about how he was often criticized when he stated that Russia wasn’t entirely at fault. He blamed both Biden and Zelensky for provoking Russia. “They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger,” Trump said.
The war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia had been building up its troops along the border and demanding that Ukraine never be allowed to join NATO. This invasion came after Russia had annexed Crimea from Ukraine back in 2014.
Trump has recently become even more critical of Zelensky, calling him a “dictator without elections” and accusing him of doing a “terrible job.” In a more controversial claim, Trump suggested that Zelensky was the one who started the war with Russia.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials have begun talks with Russian representatives, holding meetings in Saudi Arabia in an effort to find a solution to the conflict. Zelensky expressed frustration over being excluded from the discussions, as Ukrainian officials were not involved in the talks.
Trump’s team has also proposed a deal that would grant the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s rare mineral supply. This deal is seen as a way to create a U.S. incentive to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Zelensky said he was presented with this proposal on short notice and had little time to consider it.
Mike Waltz, a national security adviser, predicted that Zelensky would sign the deal soon, saying, “President Zelensky is going to sign that deal, and you will see it in the very short term.”
After his interview with Kilmeade, Trump reiterated his thoughts on Ukraine, saying that while he had “very good talks with Putin,” his interactions with Ukraine had been less successful.
Listen to Trump’s remarks in the clip below.
President Trump on Zelenskyy: "I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it. You just get sick of it. And I've had it." pic.twitter.com/OQeDttCze9
— Truth Seeker (@mib_63) February 21, 2025
