Donald Trump said on Friday that he does not consider it essential for Ukrainian President VolodyMyr Zensky to be present during negotiations aimed at ending the Russian war in Ukraine.
“I don't think he is very important to be in meetings,” Trump said in an audio interview with Fox News. “He has been there for three years. He makes it very difficult to close deals. '
It comes after Russian and top diplomats gathered in Saudi Arabia earlier this week to discuss plans for a ceasefire -Fires and Kyiv was not invited.
The US president also said that Ukrainian leaders 'have no cards' in conversations aimed at ending the country's war against a Russian invasion.
'I had very good conversations with Putin and I have not had such good conversations with Ukraine. They don't have cards, but they play it hard. But we are not going to let this go, “Trump told a meeting of American governors in the White House.
Earlier this week, the US President launched a destructive attack on his Ukrainian counterpart and blamed him for the war in his country, even though Russia was the aggressor.
Zensky, in turn, accused the American president of traps for Russian fake news.
Trump hit back through the labeling of Zensky 'a dictator without elections' – despite the Ukrainian leader who won more than 73 percent of the votes in the presidential elections of Ukraine and only pause elections because of the war.
US President Donald Trump told Fox News that “it is not important” for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zensky to be involved in peace talks
Trump blamed Zolensky earlier this week for the war in his country
Sliding with Trump, Ally Elon Musk yesterday suggested that the Ukrainian president runs a “fraud machine that feeds the dead bodies of soldiers.”
The Word War has surprised Kyiv and European capitals, a sign of how quickly Donald Trump revises Washington's long -term support for Ukraine while he opens conversations with Russia for a regulation for the conflict.
The envoy from Trump to Ukraine and Russia said that he had held 'extensive and positive discussions' with Zensky about the three -year war with Russia and praised the Ukrainian leader as a 'controversial and courageous leader of a nation at war'.
Retired the American Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday before a planned news conference with Zensky was changed to simple photo mans at the last minute on Thursday.
But he put a positive tone after what he said on the social platform X, formerly Twitter, had been 'a long and intense day' of conversations with the senior leadership of Ukraine.
His comments marked a deviation from recent punishment from Zensky by Trump and other high American officials who seemed to indicate an abrupt deterioration of the relationships.
Trump called Zensky “a dictator without elections,” and warned him that he “could move better” to negotiate the war or run the risk of not leading a nation.
The possibility that essential American military aid for Ukraine was doubted, drove the mood in Kiev, while Ukrainian troops have difficulty stopping the larger army of Russia on the battlefield.
European governments, which have so far uncomfortable in conversations between senior American and Russian officials, have jumped to strengthen Zensky and at the same time avoid a breakdown in transatlantic relationships.
The Polish president Andrzej Duda, whose country has been a vocal in favor of neighboring Ukraine, said Zensky called him on Friday.
Duda said he told Zensky to “commit himself to the course of calmness and constructive cooperation” with Trump.
“We consistently believe that there is no other way to stop bloodshed and reach permanent peace in Ukraine, except with the support of the United States,” Duda said he also told Zensky.
Trump ally Elon Musk suggested yesterday that the Ukrainian president runs a “fraud machine that feeds the dead bodies of soldiers.” Displayed: Elon Musk shows a chainsaw that was given to him by President of Argentina Javier Milei during the conservative political action conference in National Harbor, Maryland – 20 February 2025
Trump labeled Zelensky 'a dictator without elections' – despite the Ukrainian leader who won more than 73 percent of the votes in the presidential elections of Ukraine 2019. Displayed: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zensky with Donald Trump in September 2024
“I trust that goodwill and honesty form the basis of the American negotiating strategy,” Duda said on X.
“I have no doubt that President Trump is led by a deep sense of responsibility for global stability and peace.”
The best defense officer of the European Union said on Friday that the block is planning to send a strong message from support to Ukraine next week with a new help package on the occasion of the third birthday of Monday's war.
EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius said that senior members of the Executive Branch weighs how, “in a very urgent way, to steer a very strong message to Ukrainians and to the world that we stand with Ukraine.”
European policy commissioners, chairman of the Ursula von der Leyen committee and other Top -EU officials travel to Kiev on Monday.
Russia has continued with his invasion, even if there are conversations with the US, it hits civil goals almost daily.
On Friday, the Russian troops dropped three powerful slides on Kostianyynivka, in the eastern Donetsk region in Ukraine, killing a man and two others were injured, said regional governor Vadym Filashkin.
Another Russian sliding bombing damaged houses and injured five people in the Northeast Kharkiv region, said the Ministry of the Interior of Ukraine.
The public fight between Trump and Zensky started after Russia and the US had agreed on Tuesday to work on ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties.
With that, and a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump abruptly returned the three -year American policy to isolate Russia.
Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said during a briefing from the White House on Thursday that the American president is 'clearly very frustrated' with Zensky.
Zensky was unhappy that an American team opened the conversations without inviting him or European governments that KYIV supported.
When Trump claimed without evidence that Zensky was deeply unpopular in Ukraine and wrongly suggested that Ukraine was the fault of the war, Zensky said that Trump lived in a Russian “disinformator room,” suggesting that he was duped by Putin.
This is one Breaking News story. More to follow.
