On February 19, President Trump issued a tough statement to President Zelensky, asking him to quickly negotiate with Russia to end the 3-year conflict. Mr Trump stressed that if not taken action soon, Mr Zelensky could "no longer have a country to lead".
Speaking at an event in Miami, Trump said Zelensky was wrong to prolong the conflict and asserted that Ukraine could not have won without continued support from the US.
"Zelandky has cost the US $350 billion on an un conquitable war. War should not have started, and now without me and the Trump administration, he would never have ended it," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
President Trump also accused the Kiev government of abusing US aid, while mocking that Zelensky was trying to prolong the conflict to continue receiving financial support from the West. He stressed that his administration is negotiating to end the conflict.
"We are successful in negotiating to end the war with Russia - something that only Trump and the Trump administration can do. Zelensky may want to keep the assistance ship flowing into Ukraine, Trump said, criticizing Zelensky for delaying the scheduled elections in April 2024.
Mr. Trump's tough words immediately faced backlash from Ukraine and the US political world.
President Zelensky denied it, accusing Trump of falling into a "Russia misinformation trap". We have seen this information and we understand it is from Moscow, Zelensky stressed.
Trump's remarks have also caused division within the US. Senate Democratic leader Chu Schumer strongly criticized: "It's a shame to see a US president turn his back on his allies and openly side with Putin."
Republican Sen. John Kennedy also disagreed with President Trump.
However, some other Republican politicians see a more realistic approach to ending the conflict. "We need a peaceful solution, and if the Trump administration can achieve that, we should give them a chance," said Sen. John Thune.
Notably, US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss a solution to end the conflict without the participation of Ukraine and Europe.
The Biden administration has previously stressed that any peace deal must be decided by Ukraine. However, the lack of Ukraine in US-Russia discussions has prompted Kiev to worry that it could be left passive and forced to accept unfavorable terms.
Meanwhile, Trump continued to increase pressure on Mr. Zelensky: "He needs to act immediately, otherwise Ukraine may no longer exist."
