President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of preventing a peace deal and claiming he has been “harder” to deal with than Russia.
“I think Russia is ready… I think we have a deal with Russia,” Trump said to reporters. “We have to get a deal with Zelensky, I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky but so far it’s been harder.”
Pressed on his comments, Mr Trump said he does not have any “favourites” in the conflict – despite the US being a vital Ukrainian ally – and that he just “[wants to] save the lives” and “see the war end”.
The statement comes after Mr Zelensky on Tuesday ruled out ceding territory to Russia in any deal. “There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Mr Trump called Zelensky’s public pushback “very harmful” to talks.
“Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognise Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it 11 years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?” he wrote on social media.
Zelensky harder to deal with than Russia, says Trump
US president Donald Trump said on Wednesday he thought Russia had agreed to a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I thought it might be easier to deal with Zelensky. So far it’s been harder.”
Adding that he does not have any “favourites”, Trump said he just “wanna save the lives” and “see the war end”
Source: independent.co.uk
