As the tensions rose between them, former US President Donald Trump threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that a peace deal in the three-year-old Ukraine war could be settled with Russia without his interference.
In a Wednesday post on Truth Social, Trump warned Zelensky, saying, "He better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left."
Trump also asserted that his government was making headway in negotiations to bring an end to the war. "We are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only 'TRUMP', and the Trump Administration, can do," he claimed.
This statement followed Zelensky’s criticism that Ukraine was being excluded from discussions between US and Russian diplomats in Riyadh. He insisted that his country would not accept any peace agreement reached without its direct participation.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Zelensky accused him of being "caught in a web of disinformation" during a press conference in Kyiv. In retaliation, Trump labeled Zelensky a "dictator without elections."
Trump has already blamed Ukraine for starting the war, even though Russia had started the invasion. His assertion that Zelensky is a "dictator" is based on Ukraine's move to delay elections because of the conflict, after Zelensky's five-year term expired last year.
With the US as the main financial and military supporter of Ukraine's resistance against Russia, Trump seems to think that he might be able to dictate the terms of a resolution with Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally.
In the meantime, talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio were held in Riyadh on Tuesday and lasted more than four hours. Both sides indicated progress in attempts to bring an end to the war.
After the talks, Rubio said that Russia was ready for "a serious process" to end the conflict speedily, while Lavrov termed the talks as "useful."
One major breakthrough from the talks was a commitment to restore their respective embassies to normal working status, as both countries presently have only a limited diplomatic presence.
In his Truth Social update, Trump bashed the amount of US commitment in Ukraine as opposed to Europe, contending that Washington was carrying an inordinate portion of the load.
"Zelensky negotiated the United States of America into spending $350 Billion, to enter a War that could not be won, that never had to be initiated, but a War that he, without the US and 'TRUMP', will never be able to resolve," Trump asserted.
He went on to add that European countries, being physically closer to Ukraine, should contribute equally as much as the US instead of banking on American support.
Moreover, Trump directly attacked President Joe Biden, blaming him for being manipulated by Zelensky and not seeking peace. "Zelensky played him like a fiddle," Trump claimed.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian land, and Ukraine has only regained limited territory, especially in regions close to Kursk.
Any potential peace agreement will not have all of Ukraine's regained land back.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also said that it is unrealistic to anticipate Ukraine regaining its pre-2014 borders, as Russia had annexed Crimea and taken additional territory after the war intensified in 2022.
Hegseth also dismissed the idea of Ukraine joining NATO.
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