US President, Donald Trump has taken aim at Ukraine after its President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, complained about being left out oftalks between the US and Russia over ending the Ukraine war.
Following what he referred to as “the infamous meeting,” Zelenskyy accused the Russian delegation in Riyadh of lying, adding that Russia could not be trusted and “must be pressured for peace.”
Saying he was “disappointed” by Ukraine’s reaction, Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war, saying that the country “could have made a deal” earlier.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump was asked by what his message was to Ukrainians who might feel betrayed.
The US President said that a “half baked” negotiator could have secured a settlement years ago “without the loss of much land.”
“I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat, well, they’ve had a seat for three years and a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.
“I could have made a deal for Ukraine. That would have given them almost all of the land, everything, almost all of the land – and no people would have killed, and no city would have been demolished.”
Donald Trump
European leaders are increasingly fearful that Trump is giving too many concessions to Russia in his pursuit of the Ukraine deal that he promised to seal even before taking office.
However, Trump insisted that his only goal was “peace” to end the largest land war in Europe since the Second World War.
Trump said that he was “much more confident” after the meeting in Riyadh.
“They were very good. Russia wants to do something. They want to stop the savage barbarianism. I think I have the power to end this war.”
Donald Trump
Meanwhile, when asked about the prospect of European countries sending troops to Ukraine, Trump said, “If they want to do that, that’s great, I’m all for it.”
However, he added of a potential US deployment of troops, “We won’t have to put any over there because, you know, we’re very far away.”
The US President also suggested that he could meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin before the end of the month.
Trump Points To Election In Ukraine
Moreover, Trump increased pressure on Zelenskyy to hold elections – echoing one of Moscow’s key demands.
Trump also criticised the length of time since an election was held in Ukraine, when asked if the US would support Russian demands for one to be held. “They want a seat at the table, but… wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have a say? It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election,” the US President responded.
“That’s not a Russian thing, that’s something coming from me, from other countries.
“We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have essentially martial law in Ukraine, where the leader in Ukraine – I mean, I hate to say it, but he’s down at 4% approval rating – and where a country has been blown to smithereens. Most of the cities are laying on their sides. The buildings are collapsed. It looks like a massive demolition site.”
Donald Trump
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 for a five-year term but has remained in office as Ukraine is still under martial law following the onset of the conflict.
One opinion pollin December suggested52% of Ukrainians surveyed said that they “trust” Zelenskyy.
While Zelenskyy’s popularity has declined in recent months, a fresh February poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that 57% of Ukrainians trusted the President, up from 52% a month earlier.
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