U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday criticized Ukraine for taking a "tough" stance in negotiations to end Russia's invasion, claiming the country has little leverage. The remarks mark the latest escalation in Trump's ongoing feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump also said it was not "very important" for Zelenskyy to be involved in the talks, which Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start after an ice-breaking phone call last week.
Speaking to a gathering of U.S. governors at the White House, Trump said Ukraine’s leadership was "talking tough" but lacked real influence at the negotiating table.
“I’ve had very good talks with Putin, and I’ve had not such good talks with Ukraine. They don’t have any cards, but they play it tough,” Trump said. “But we’re not going to let this continue. We have people who’ve got to get to the table — we’ve got to get that ended.”
Trump also downplayed Zelenskyy’s importance in future discussions, saying it wasn’t “very important” for him to be directly involved. The comment followed what Trump described as a breakthrough phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, paving the way for potential talks.
“I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings,” Trump told Fox News in a radio interview before his White House remarks. “He’s been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals.”
The former president also reiterated his belief that Russia holds the upper hand in the conflict because it controls large parts of Ukrainian territory, a stance that has raised concerns among Kyiv and European allies who fear Trump could offer concessions to Moscow.
Trump is also pressuring Zelenskyy to grant Washington preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits in exchange for continued U.S. aid. Zelenskyy has rejected the demand, citing a lack of security guarantees, and has criticized his exclusion from recent U.S.-Russia talks held in Saudi Arabia.
In response, Trump lashed out, labeling Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and blaming Ukraine for prolonging the war.
Trump again refused to directly blame Russia for its February 2022 invasion, instead criticizing Kyiv’s response. “Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have let him attack,” he said. “I’ve been watching this man [Zelenskyy] for years now, as his cities get demolished... and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards, and you get sick of it.”
He added that Putin was under no pressure to make a deal. “He doesn’t have to make a deal, because if he wanted, he’d get the whole country,” Trump said.
Trump also targeted European leaders, accusing French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of failing to take meaningful steps to end the war. Both leaders are scheduled to visit the White House next week.
“The war’s going on, they had no meetings with Russia, no nothing — they haven’t done anything,” Trump said. “Macron’s a friend of mine, I’ve met with the prime minister and, you know, he’s a very nice guy. But nobody’s done anything.”
Meanwhile, the White House increased pressure on Ukraine to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to its valuable rare earth metals and other minerals. Despite Zelenskyy’s earlier rejection, the administration remains confident the agreement will go through.
“Here’s the bottom line, President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington.
Waltz dismissed criticism of the U.S.’s shifting stance on Ukraine, calling out detractors “clutching their pearls” over Trump’s rhetoric, which has echoed Kremlin narratives and intensified concerns about Washington’s future role in the conflict.
