Ukraine standoff: Trump slams Zelensky amid arms delays
Donald Trump is frustrated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's rejection of the "opportunity" presented to his country, which was intended to be an agreement on "joint investments" in Ukrainian mineral deposits, said U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Thursday.
Donald Trump shocked the world by calling Zelensky a dictator, suggesting that he has little time to save the country. He then mentioned that Kyiv ended the development of the agreement initiated by the U.S., which was supposed to lead to a ceasefire.
During a White House briefing, Mike Waltz did not directly answer a question about whether the U.S. had halted arms supplies to Ukraine. Influential Ukrainian deputy Roman Kostenko made this claim on Thursday.
Sparks on the Trump-Zelensky line. Slowing down arms transfers
However, Waltz confirmed that there are indeed delays in the delivery of weapons transferred from American stockpiles and noted that U.S. resources are dwindling. He added that Kyiv should agree with Washington to share half of the revenues from Ukrainian natural resources.
President Trump is highly frustrated with President Zelensky for refusing to engage in negotiations and for not seizing the opportunity. Waltz stated that the Ukrainians must adopt a more flexible approach, carefully consider the situation, and agree to sign the deal.
Zelensky initially agreed to talks but assessed that Trump's original proposal meant a demand to share Ukraine's resources without security guarantees. "That's not a serious conversation," the Ukrainian president retorted.
The U.S. president's advisor expressed disappointment, noting that they were met with extensive media rhetoric rather than engaging in meaningful discussions on progress in this area. Waltz emphasized that the agreement would include joint U.S. investments in Ukrainian deposits, boosting revenues for both nations. He added that, in his view, nothing would benefit Ukraine's future and security more than U.S. investment in its long-term prosperity.
Waltz also assessed that Trump is frustrated by what his administration perceives as Zelensky's ingratitude for the assistance provided so far. He did not respond to the question of whether the U.S. president also considers Russian leader Vladimir Putin a dictator after calling the president of Ukraine that.
He also mentioned the Thursday meeting in Kyiv between General Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, and President Zelensky. Waltz acknowledged that their discussions covered security guarantees, emphasizing that a crucial aspect of the conversation was conveying the need to end the war to Zelensky. He stated that the approach of continuing the conflict indefinitely, as seen under the Biden administration, is no longer in place.
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