Trump sees Zelensky as ‘primary obstacle' to Ukraine peace
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Trump said he was 'unhappy' with Putin, claiming the Russian leader did not want to end the conflict. 'We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin,' Trump said. The US president added that while Putin was 'very nice all the time,' it turned out to be 'meaningless' for ending the fighting.
Later, he announced a 'major statement' on Russia soon amid reported discussions in Washington over imposing a 500% tariff on countries that buy Russian energy and goods.
However, two unnamed senior officials involved in defense and security talks with Washington told the FT that there was little indication the White House had actually adopted a more pro-Kiev stance.
Ukraine's backers, the report said, are 'still assuming Trump was predisposed to seeing Putin as his main negotiating partner in any settlement and Zelensky as the primary obstacle to a workable peace deal.'
One official pointed to 'a little bit of overexcitement based on a shift in tone,' while cautioning that 'we're not seeing that translate into major actions.'
The FT report echoes a New York Times article in June claiming that the US president is 'exasperated' with both Putin and Zelensky, but 'reserves special animosity' for the Ukrainian leader, viewing him as a 'bad guy' pushing the world towards a global conflict.
In May, Trump openly criticized Zelensky, suggesting that 'everything out of his mouth causes problems.' The fiercest public clash between the two came in February at the White House, when Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude and 'gambling with World War III.'
Commenting on Trump's remarks targeting Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is 'calm about this,' adding that 'we are committed to continuing our dialogue with Washington and our policy of repairing the significantly damaged bilateral relations.'
Russia maintains it is open to a diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict, but in a way that would address its 'root causes' and its security concerns. Moscow insists on Ukraine's neutrality, recognition of the 'territorial reality on the ground,' as well as demilitarization and denazification.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Civilians trapped after Ukrainian airstrike hits apartment block
A Ukrainian airstrike has destroyed a five-story residential building in the Russian town of Aleshki in Kherson Region, trapping an unknown number of civilians under the rubble, according to local authorities. The strike occurred on Friday, around seven kilometers from the Dnieper River, which divides Russia and Ukraine. Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said the building collapsed after being hit by two bombs. 'The enemy has hit a residential building in Aleshki in an airstrike,' Saldo told Russian news agencies. 'The building has collapsed. Civilians are trapped underneath.' Saldo alleged that Ukrainian forces were using drones to hinder rescue efforts, targeting emergency crews attempting to reach the site. 'Dozens of people are trapped under the rubble,' he wrote in a statement on Telegram. Ukrainian forces have regularly carried out cross-border strikes into Russian territory and Russian in recent months, often using drones and Western-supplied weapons. On July 8, a Ukrainian drone strike killed four civilians, including a five-year-old boy, at a public beach in the city of Kursk during celebrations for the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity. Last week, four people were killed and several others injured when Ukrainian forces launched a HIMARS rocket attack on Donetsk, according to local officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Kiev of pursuing a 'deliberate policy' of striking civilian areas. 'It is a deliberate policy that has already been elevated to the level of state doctrine,' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement last month, citing alleged atrocities in Donbass, including drone attacks on homes and the mass killing of elderly people. Authorities in Kherson say rescue operations in Aleshki will continue despite the threat of further drone attacks. The number of casualties has yet to be confirmed.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky claimed he ‘never heard of' Ukrainian Nazi collaborators' crimes
Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky claimed he had no idea about the atrocities committed by Ukrainian Nazi collaborators during World War II until confronted about the issue by Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latter has told the media outlet RMF24. According to the president, Zelensky's claim underscores that Ukrainians are kept in the dark about their nation's troubled past. 'He said to me: 'Andrzej, I've never heard of the murders, the killing of Poles in western Ukraine, in Volhynia. They didn't teach us about it in school',' Duda said, recounting one of his meetings with the Ukrainian leader. The president was referring to the infamous Volyn massacre, which has long been a flashpoint in bilateral relations between the two countries. Militants from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) slaughtered up to 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945 in the regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, which were later incorporated into Ukraine. Both the UPA and the OUN collaborated with Nazi Germany during WWII. Many historic ultranationalist leaders, including OUN leader Stepan Bandera, a notorious Nazi collaborator, are widely revered by Ukrainians today. According to Duda, they are ignorant about the crimes of the past. The widespread belief that they are aware of their own 'difficult history' is wrong, according to the Polish president. It is not the first time Duda has expressed his concerns about Ukraine's approach to its past. In September 2024, he told Polsat News that 'Ukrainians have many problems with their history,' including 'the Volyn massacre … service in SS units, collaboration with the authorities of the Third Reich, and participation in the Holocaust.' The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry released a statement on Thursday, saying that historical events should be studied and discussed 'without politicization.' 'On the eve of the day when the Republic of Poland commemorates the victims of the Volyn tragedy, Ukraine shares the pain and grief of the Polish people. At the same time, we do not forget about the numerous Ukrainians who became innocent victims of interethnic violence, political repression and deportation on the territory of Poland,' the statement continued. Warsaw has been one of Kiev's strongest supporters since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. Poland also provided a key logistics hub which was used to transport between 80-90% of NATO-supplied military equipment and ammunition to Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities continue to glorify Nazi collaborators despite concerns expressed by Kiev's Western backers. In February, the city of Rovno celebrated the 120th birthday of Nazi collaborator and prominent anti-Semitic propagandist Ulas Samchuk, who called for the mass killing of Jews and Poles during WWII. Less than a month later, Ukrainian nationalists commemorated the 75th anniversary of the death of UPA leader Roman Shukhevich with a torchlit march, and unveiled a museum dedicated to him. Shukhevich is considered by many historians to have been one of the architects and commanders responsible for the massacre of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
Russia Today
7 hours ago
- Russia Today
US-led drills pose threat to peace in Asia
The military activities of the US and its allies around the Korean Peninsula threaten the stability of the entire region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his visit to North Korea. The US, South Korea, and Japan are increasing the number of joint military drills, some of which involve 'a nuclear component,' Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Wonsan on Saturday. 'This does not contribute to peace and stability, not only on the Korean Peninsula but throughout Northeast Asia,' the diplomat said, expressing skepticism about Seoul's intentions to normalize relations with Pyongyang. Lavrov condemned what he described as 'dangerous attempts by actors outside the Indo-Pacific to form exclusive alliances and expand NATO infrastructure in the region.' He emphasized that countries should not build alliances at the expense of others, adding that both Russia and North Korea are committed to 'equal and indivisible security' for all nations in Eurasia. The US, South Korea, and Japan conducted joint exercises this week involving the deployment of America's nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bombers. In a joint statement, the allies accused Pyongyang of 'unlawful activities' that 'destabilize the Korean Peninsula.' Russia and North Korea signed a defense pact in June 2024, after which Pyongyang dispatched troops to help expel Ukrainian forces from Russia's Kursk region later that year. The cooperation is a testament to the 'invincible brotherhood' between the two countries, Lavrov said.
