Donald Trump took a swipe at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “poor negotiator” and “grossly incompetent”, as tensions flared over U.S.-Russia negotiations on ending the war. With Ukraine left out of the talks, Trump dismissed Zelenskyy’s frustration and criticized his decision not to attend discussions in Saudi Arabia.
Trump: “You Should Have Made a Deal”
Mocking Zelenskyy’s stance, Trump questioned why the war hadn’t ended already. “Three years—you should have never been there. You should have made a deal,” he said, ignoring the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine unprovoked. His comments signal a harder shift in U.S. policy, leaving Kyiv and European allies scrambling as Washington appears more focused on resetting ties with Moscow than deterring Putin.
Pushing for Elections in Wartime
Trump also floated the idea of forcing Ukraine to hold elections, a move that aligns with Kremlin priorities but which he insists is his own idea. “It’s not a Russia thing,” he claimed. “That’s coming from me and a lot of other countries too.”
He went further, painting Zelenskyy as politically weak, falsely stating his approval had plummeted to 4%—when recent polls show he still holds a narrow majority of support at 52%.
“People Want to See Something Happen”
Trump argued that Ukrainians were tired of war, eager for a resolution. But his assertion clashes with the reality in Ukraine, where leaders and citizens have been stunned by U.S. actions—particularly a proposal for Ukraine to hand over half of its rare earth mineral rights as repayment for past aid, without any future security guarantees.
As negotiations quietly unfold, Ukraine finds itself on the sidelines, facing the very real possibility that its most crucial ally is shifting priorities—with or without its input.
