Trump said on Friday, after saying that the Ukrainians had nothing in hand, which could contribute to the conversations about an end to the war.
He had very good conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but “not so good conversations with Ukraine,” Trump previously said in front of US governors in the White House on Friday. “You have nothing in your hand, but you play with hard bandages. But we won’t allow it to go on like this.”
Shortly before, the right-wing populist had said in an interview with the broadcaster Fox News that Selenskyj’s participation in the negotiations to terminate the Ukraine War was “not very important”.
With his recent statements, however, Trump seemed to be dealing with his previous confrontation course towards Selenskyj. At the meeting with journalists in the Oval Office, he said about Ukraine: “They are very brave, in every respect that you can imagine.” But the United States would give out its money for a country, “which is very, very far away”.
Trump also commented on negotiations on a raw material agreement with Ukraine. Kiev will “hopefully sign an agreement in the near future”, which Washington grants preferred access to the Ukrainian mineral resources. Despite the escalation of their tensions, Washington and Kiev continue to negotiate the agreement that would give the United States access to strategically important minerals in Ukraine in return.
Trump had significantly tightened his tone compared to Ukraine this week. He described Selenskyj as a “dictator without elections” and threw him in one of being responsible for the Russian attack war against Ukraine. For his part, Selenskyj described Trump as a victim of Russian disinformation.
In the past few days, the US government had started talks with Moscow about the end of the war on a high level, without a Kiev or representative of other European allies. This triggered irritation and sharp criticism from Ukraine and its supporters.
According to Trump’s assessment, Russia’s President Putin is in no way under pressure to get involved with Ukraine on a peace agreement. “He doesn’t need a agreement because if he wanted to, he would take the whole country (Ukraine),” Trump continued on Friday.
Meanwhile, he accused the French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister Keir Strander not to do anything to end the war. Both politicians will be expected separately in the White House next week.
“The war continues, they had no meeting with Russia, nothing, they didn’t do anything,” said Trump with a view of Macron and Starmer. Macron is his friend and string a “nice guy”, but “nobody did anything”.
Macron had announced that he wanted to talk to Trump about his attitude towards Putin. “I will tell him: ‘You can’t be weak to President Putin. This is not you, that’s not your trademark, that’s not your interest’.” He will also make Trump illustrated that his “strategic interest corresponds to ours”.
Meanwhile, Selenskyj asked the allies in Europe to strengthen their effort for an end to the war in Ukraine. “Europe has to and can do a lot more to ensure that there is actually peace in Ukraine,” said Selenskyj on Friday in his every evening video address. To reach an end to war with Russia is “possible” because Ukraine and its partners in Europe have “clear suggestions”.
