U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that some recent statements from Ukraine have been interpreted by Donald Trump’s administration as “insults” toward him.
He made this remark during a White House briefing on February 20.
Waltz was asked to comment on Trump’s post in which he called Zelensky a “dictator” and to clarify who, in the U.S. president’s view, is responsible for the ongoing war in Ukraine—Zelensky or Putin.
Trump’s advisor did not give a direct answer but said that the U.S. president’s “disappointment with Zelensky” stems from several factors.
“His frustration with President Zelenskyy that you heard is multifold. There needs to be a deep appreciation for what the American people and the American taxpayer, what President Trump did in his first term and what we’ve done since. There’s some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump (that) were unacceptable,” Waltz said.
The second factor he mentioned was an investment agreement concerning Ukraine’s mineral resources, which Ukraine has so far refused to sign.
Waltz stated that the agreement is not only “a long-term security measure for Ukraine” but also necessary because “we have obligations to American taxpayers and need to help compensate for the hundreds of billions” spent.
“Rather than enter into some constructive conversations about what that deal should be going forward, we got a lot of rhetoric in the media that was incredibly unfortunate,” he added.
