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Donald Trump renewed his public attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and dismissed European leaders’ efforts to forge a common front with Ukraine’s president as the fallout from Friday’s White House confrontation intensified further.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy for saying on Sunday night that the end of the war with Russia was “very very far away” and warned America would “not put up with it for much longer”.
He also suggested that a weekend of intense European diplomacy, including a summit in London hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and a one-month truce proposed by Emmanuel Macron, president of France, had failed to improve Kyiv’s standing.
“This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing,” Trump wrote referring to Ukraine’s president. “Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.”
In a video statement on Monday evening, Zelenskyy said Kyiv would “continue our work with European partners on a special diplomatic and security architecture that can bring us closer to peace”.
He added: “We need peace, true and honest peace — not endless war. And security guarantees are essential. The absence of security guarantees for Ukraine 11 years ago allowed Russia to start with the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.”
Trump’s relationship with Zelenskyy has descended into acrimony after he and vice-president JD Vance openly criticised Ukraine’s leader during an extraordinary public dispute in the Oval Office on Friday.
The verbal showdown has jeopardised the chances of a peace deal with Russia on terms that Ukraine could agree to, and raised alarm across many European capitals about Trump’s stance on the conflict and broader commitment to security on the continent.
The dispute also prevented the US and Ukraine from signing a deal on American access to Ukraine’s critical minerals that was seen as essential for Trump to maintain Washington’s support for Kyiv.
At a White House event on Monday afternoon, Trump said of Zelenskyy: “I just think he should be more appreciative, because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin.”
He also suggested Ukraine’s leader might be out of office if he fails to reach an accord with Moscow.
“It should not be that hard a deal to make,” Trump added. “It could be made very fast. Now maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long.”
The New York Times on Monday reported the US president was due to meet with his top advisers on Ukraine to discuss suspending or cancelling aid to the country, adding to the concern.
But a White House official dismissed the significance of the meeting, saying there were always “high level discussions” about ending the war in Ukraine, while Trump said: “I haven’t even talked about that right now. I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens. A lot of things are happening right now as we speak.”
Earlier in the day, Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, laid out some of the conditions that Washington was looking for from Zelenskyy.
“What we need to hear from President Zelenskyy is that he has regret for what happened, he’s ready to sign this minerals deal and that he’s ready to engage in peace talks,” Waltz said. “I don’t think that’s too much to ask. I think that’s what’s best for the American people, for the Ukrainian people, for Russia and for the world to restore stability.”
Zelenskyy on Monday said Ukraine was still “very much” hoping for “US support on the path to peace”.
Starmer is expected to hold further talks with European leaders this week. Downing Street did not rule out the prime minister travelling to Brussels on Thursday, when EU leaders are holding an emergency summit.
Britain and France have offered to lead a “coalition of the willing” in supplying troops to guarantee a peace deal in Ukraine, but Starmer has insisted there must be a US “backstop”.
British officials say that must mean US air cover, surveillance and other military support. Starmer has said without this there was a danger Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would “come again” for more Ukrainian territory.
Additional reporting by Christopher Miller in Kyiv
