Trump ‘very frustrated’ with Zelenskyy for allegedly failing to ‘take opportunity’ of US-brokered peace – as it happened

 

Representative Michael Waltz stated that President Trump is deeply frustrated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing Zelenskyy’s reluctance to engage in peace talks. “President Trump is very frustrated right now with President Zelenskyy, the fact that he hasn’t come to the table and 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,” Waltz said.

He added, “President Trump is, as we made clear to our Russian counterparts, and I want to make clear today, focused on stopping the fighting and moving forward. We could argue all day long about what’s happened in the past.”

Waltz declined to directly answer whether Trump views Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator, despite Trump recently using that term to describe Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit the White House on Monday, according to a White House statement reported by Reuters. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also scheduled to visit on Thursday.

Following Trump’s remarks calling him a dictator and warning him to "move fast" or risk losing his country, Zelenskyy met with U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg. Zelenskyy later posted on X about the meeting, describing it as "productive," and expressed gratitude for U.S. assistance and bipartisan support for Ukraine.

In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Mitsotakis urged the continent to transition from rhetoric to concrete action, advocating for increased budget flexibility to allow EU member states to allocate more funds to defense.

Additionally, Zelenskyy shared details of a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, in which they discussed European affairs and exchanged insights from their recent discussions with other global leaders.

Former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin warned that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, it could expand its aggression to neighboring countries and NATO allies. Speaking in London, she described the current global climate as "very dangerous" and called for stronger support for Ukraine.

Senator JD Vance, without offering specific details, claimed that the U.S. is "on the cusp of peace in Europe" thanks to Trump’s determination to end the war. “What makes President Trump such an effective negotiator,” Vance asserted, “is that he does not take anything off the table. Everything is on the table. That makes heads explode in America because they say, ‘Why are you talking to Russia?’”

Meanwhile, the UK and Norway announced a new security pact aimed at strengthening defense capabilities, increasing cooperation in the High North, and enhancing joint training exercises. The agreement will also facilitate closer intelligence collaboration between the two nations.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking in Bratislava after meeting Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, praised Slovakia’s hosting of a multinational NATO battle group, calling it “very impressive.”

The U.S. administration may reconsider its sanctions on Russia in response to potential peace talks, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He also criticized Zelenskyy’s recent remarks about Trump, suggesting that the Ukrainian president had escalated tensions and created distance between Ukraine and the U.S.

During a press briefing, Waltz accused Zelenskyy of failing to seize the opportunity for a Trump-brokered peace deal. However, Zelenskyy was notably excluded from a high-level meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where U.S. and Russian officials discussed diplomatic relations and potential pathways to end the war.

Reacting to Zelenskyy’s complaints about not being invited, Trump falsely blamed him for starting the war. “Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years ... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” Trump claimed.

Waltz also reiterated a proposal for Ukraine to sign an agreement that would transfer half of its rare mineral resources to the U.S. However, the U.S. has not offered Ukraine any security guarantees in exchange for this arrangement.