US President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, warning that Ukraine’s leader “won’t be around very long” if a ceasefire deal with Russia is not reached. The remarks came after a heated Oval Office exchange between the two leaders last week, CNN reported.
Speaking to reporters, Trump criticised Zelenskyy for suggesting the war could continue for an extended period and said he should be “more appreciative” of the military aid the US has provided to Kyiv. Despite tensions, Trump indicated that a minerals deal—abandoned following their dispute—was still a possibility. “It should not be that hard a deal to make. It could be made very fast,” he said, referring to a ceasefire.
Trump further suggested that reluctance to negotiate peace would have consequences. “Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long,” he said, adding, “That person will not be listened to very long, because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal. I believe certainly the people of Ukraine want to make a deal.”
Earlier in the day, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to attack Zelensky’s remarks in London, where the Ukrainian leader told European leaders that an end to Moscow’s invasion remained distant. “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer,” Trump posted. “This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.”
Trump also accused European leaders of lacking strength, saying they had “stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.” He criticised their approach, questioning, “Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
The sharp exchanges followed Friday’s meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, which ended in a public dispute. Trump and Vice President JD Vance confronted Zelenskyy, accusing him of being ungrateful and disrespectful while he pressed for US security guarantees as part of any potential truce. The confrontation resulted in Zelenskyy being asked to leave, with the deal granting the US preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources left unsigned.
Trump later met with top aides to discuss the next steps regarding Ukraine but downplayed speculation that he would cut military aid if Zelenskyy refused to agree to a ceasefire. “I haven’t even talked about that right now. I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens. A lot of things are happening right now, literally as we speak,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz reinforced Trump’s stance, stating that Zelenskyy needed to apologise for the Oval Office dispute. “What we need to hear from President Zelenskyy is that he has regret for what happened,” Waltz told Fox News. He also dismissed suggestions by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Trump and Vance had orchestrated the clash, stating, “This was no ambush.”
