On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz refused to answer a question about whether Trump blames Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky more for the war in Ukraine, CNN reported.
"(Trump's) goal here is to bring this war to an end, period, and there has been ongoing fighting on both sides — it is World War I-style, trench warfare," Waltz told reporters at the White House briefing.
"His frustration with President Zelensky is — that you've heard — is multi-fold. One, there needs to be a deep appreciation for what the American people, what the American taxpayer, what President Trump did in his first term, and what we've done since. So some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump, were unacceptable."
On Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator without elections," prompting the Ukrainian President to say that Trump "lives in this disinformation space" and is "(helping) Putin out of his isolation".
During the White House briefing on Thursday, Waltz wouldn't answer whether Trump believes Putin is a dictator.
"Look, President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky — the fact that he hasn't come to the table, that he hasn't been willing to take this opportunity that we have offered, I think he eventually will get to that point, and I hope so very quickly," he said.
"But President Trump is, as we made clear to our Russian counterparts, and I want to make clear today — he's focused on stopping the fighting and moving forward, and we could argue all day long about what's happened in the past."
"If there's anybody in this world that can go toe to toe with Putin, that could go toe to toe with Xi, that could go toe to toe with Kim Jong Un and you could keep going down the list, it's Donald J. Trump. He is the deal maker in chief. There is no question that he is the Commander-in-Chief. And I think all Americans, and around the world, should have no doubt about his ability to not only handle Putin but to handle the complexity of driving this war to an end," he added.
He was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky held what he described as a "productive meeting" earlier on Thursday with US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, expressing gratitude for Washington's assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
"It's important for us -- and for the entire free world -- that American strength is felt," Zelensky said in a statement on X.
Waltz reported that the gathering largely focused on the situation on the battlefield, attempts to achieve the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, and deliberations regarding putting in place solid security guarantees.
"From the very first second of this war, Ukraine has sought peace. We must and can ensure that peace is strong and lasting -- so that Russia can never return with war," said the Ukrainian President.
A joint news conference planned at the end of the talks and set to be held according to Zelensky's office was scrapped upon request from the U.S.
Nevertheless, Waltz's statement was a considerable departure from the recent clash of biting comments exchanged between the Ukrainian and American presidents. Hostilities heightened following the U.S. participation in peace negotiations with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a meeting which significantly omitted Kyiv.
Early in the conflict, Russian troops marched toward the Ukrainian capital but were ultimately repelled. In the last three years, the front lines have moved decisively, with Russia firmly entrenched in eastern Ukraine, where it has backed separatists since 2014—the year it illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
Waltz pushed back on criticism from Ukraine of Trump's approach to ending the war, saying "some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly and insults to President Trump were unacceptable." He reiterated the Trump administration's insistence that it is "unacceptable that the United States, and the United States taxpayer continues to bear the burden, not only of the cost of the war in Ukraine but of the defence of Europe".
"We fully support our NATO allies. We fully support the Article Five commitment, but it's time for our European allies to step up," he said.
"We've got other domestic priorities. That's unacceptable. President Trump's made that clear, and the minimum needs to be met. We need to be at 100 per cent... and then let's talk about exceeding it, which is what President Trump has been talking about, with 5 per cent of GDP, Europe needs to step up for their own defence as a partner, and we can be friends and allies and have those tough conversations," he added.
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