The US will "not put up" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's comments regarding the end of the war with Russia for much longer, US President Donald Trump said on Monday.
In a post on Truth Social that shared an AP story quoting Zelensky as saying the end of the war is "very, very far away," Trump said, "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky."
"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 Zelensky, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US," Trump said.
Trump and Zelensky spoke of the future of Ukraine in a public Oval Office meeting on Friday, which ended with Zelensky leaving the White House early.
Minutes before Zelensky's premature departure, the US president and his Vice President, JD Vance, shared an explosive confrontation with the Ukrainian president, in which Trump accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for the support provided by the United States.
Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and demanded he thank Trump.
Trump warned that failing to accept a US-led peace deal with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, would mean “gambling with World War III.”
“You’re either going make a deal or we’re out,” Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
Future of US-Ukraine relations
Zelensky later said he believed the relationship could still be salvaged, but that he and Trump would need to continue discussions behind closed doors.
“We need real peace, and Ukrainians want it most because the war ruins our cities and towns. We lose our people. We need to stop the war and to guarantee security,” Zelensky posted on X/Twitter on Monday.
“We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope on US support on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible.”