Russia and Putin · Second term · № 94
Said Zelensky was not "very important to be at meetings" on ending the war
“So, I don't think he's very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He's been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals.”
- Said
- , Fox News Radio, "The Brian Kilmeade Show"
- Subject
- Ukraine's seat at talks
- Type
- Ukraine
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
Trump made the remark on February 21, 2025, three days after U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine. In the same interview he said of Zelensky, "I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it." Later that day he told governors at the White House that he had had "very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine." Zelensky had told NBC News the previous week, "I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never." NBC News reported that the White House and the Ukrainian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.