Trump Escalates Feud with Zelenskyy over Ukrainian President's Latest Remark: 'Worst Statement That Could've Been Made'

Mar. 15, 2025

Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump.Photo:SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty

PresidentDonald Trumpdoubled down on his harsh stance towards Ukraine on Monday, March 3 — just three days after heabruptly ended peace negotiationswith Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyyduring a White House visit.

“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S.,” he continued. “Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”

Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump.Andrew Harnik/Getty

Andrew Harnik/Getty

Zelenskyy’s White House meeting with Trump on Friday, Feb. 28, was expected to result in a natural resources agreement with Ukraine, which would build towards a peace deal with Russia. Ahead of the meeting, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that “we’re fairly close to getting” the natural resources deal signed and a halt in the fighting.

Shortly afterward, the meeting suddenly turned tense when Zelenskyy expressed doubt in front of American journalists that Russian PresidentVladimir Putincould be trusted to honor a peace agreement. Trump and Vice PresidentJ.D. Vancebegan shouting at Zelenskyy, calling him “disrespectful” and suggesting that he was ungrateful for the United States' involvement in negotiations.

Trump then called off his closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy and their subsequent joint press conference, unexpectedly sending the team of Ukrainian officials home without making progress.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty

Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty

Within hours, dozens of European leaders — many of which are allies of the United States — had stepped up toexpress continued support for Zelenskyy and Ukraine.

Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau— who months earlier had his own tense moment with Trump, after Trump suggested that Canada become the51st U.S. state— wrote in a post on X that “Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience,” saying the effort to defend their sovereignty “matters to us all.”

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. With the war now entering its fourth year, United Nations Refugee Agency has estimated more than10 million refugeeshave been displaced since the initial invasion.

source: people.com