Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating he does not consider Zelensky essential for negotiations to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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• Donald Trump claimed to have had “good talks” with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin but criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for not being helpful in negotiations.
• Trump suggested that Zelensky’s involvement in meetings is not important, calling him a “dictator with elections” and accusing him of making negotiations harder.
• The US President mentioned that Zelensky and Putin will eventually need to “get together” to end the war.
• Trump’s comments marked a shift from previous remarks where he had accused Zelensky of being a “dictator” and falsely claimed Ukraine “started” the war.
• Trump stated that Ukraine’s leadership has “no cards” in talks and is playing tough but lacks leverage in negotiations.
• He added that Ukraine had been in meetings for three years without any progress, contrasting it with his positive discussions with Putin.
• Trump expressed frustration with Ukraine receiving US support without giving preferential access to its mineral resources in return.
• He stated that Ukraine should sign a deal granting the US access to its vast natural resources in exchange for the US aid it has received.
• In response, Zelensky rejected the idea, seeking security guarantees from the US in return for agreeing to such an arrangement.
• Trump also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to make progress in ending the war.