Ukraine's Zelenskyy Speaks Out After Trump Criticism

What Happened?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken out after receiving criticism from President Donald Trump, who accused him of starting the ongoing war with Russia.

President Trump's comments came Tuesday after addressing reporters from his home in Florida.

He argued that Zelenskyy could have made a deal to avoid the conflict.

Zelenskyy was criticized as a 'poor negotiator' and being 'grossly incompetent' as the Trump administration continues its direct negotiating talks with Moscow.

'You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land,' Trump stated.

On Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social to express Zelenskyy's efforts of talking America into spending $350 billion to go into a war 'that couldn’t be won' and that 'never had to start.'

‘The United States has spent $200 billion more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back,’ added Trump.

Zelenskyy reportedly accused Trump on Wednesday of being trapped in a 'disinformation bubble' that is coming from Russia.

He added that any attempts to replace him during the war would fail.

'The army is quite resilient, and it is the most resilient in Europe...and it guarantees us the opportunity to speak with dignity and on an equal footing with other partners — allies or non-allies,' Zelenskyy said.

Why it Matters

Senior U.S. officials recently met with Russian leaders in Saudi Arabia for peace talks based on Russia-U.S. ties.

The focus surrounded discussions on ending the war in Ukraine and improving negotiations amid pressure from European leaders.

According to reports, Trump aims to reverse three years of U.S. policy that focused on isolating Russia relations.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Rubio said Russia and the U.S. agreed broadly to pursue three common goals.

One of the objectives included creating a high-level team to support Ukraine peace talks.

However, many have grown concerned amid the distance feeling the Trump administration has left on its European allies.

U.S. envoy Gen. Keith Kellogg previously told reporters that he didn't think it’s reasonable and feasible to have everybody sitting at the negotiating table early on.

How it Affects You

Zelenskyy has stated his country wanted 'security guarantees' from the U.S.

It's unclear how hard Kellogg pushed Trump's viewpoint during his recent visit to Kyiv to listen to Zelenskyy's administration.

According to reports, Kellogg did state he would share what he learned on his trip with Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to 'ensure that we get this one right.'

Trump still believes his strategies will result in a win despite European allies' patience running thin during critical phases.

Putin and Trump could reportedly meet in person as early as this month.