Donald Trump has hit out at the Ukrainian president once again, just four days after an explosive on-camera spat between the pair.
The US president posted on Truth Social saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy made “the worst statement that could have been made” when he said the end of the war with Russia is “very, very far away”.
“America will not put up with it for much longer!” Mr Trump posted.
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing,” the president added.
He also appeared to attack Mr Zelenskyy and Europe after yesterday’s Ukraine summit in London at which leaders, according to Mr Trump: “stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.”
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“What are they thinking?” Mr Trump asked.
A deal to end the war was still “very, very far away”, Mr Zelenskyy said earlier, adding he expects to keep receiving US support despite the two leaders’ public spat.
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“I think our relationship (with the US) will continue because it’s more than an occasional relationship,” the Ukrainian president added.
Mr Trump said in his Truth Social post: “This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!
“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?”
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Despite the confrontation leading to Mr Zelenskyy being told to leave the White House, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told Sky News’s chief political correspondent Jon Craig the argument may have been a “blessing”.
“Zelenskyy needed to wake up and smell the coffee,” said Mr Farage.
“And since that meeting, he’s done so, by the way, I’m told from people inside the White House that before they left the building, Zelenskyy wanted to go back in and sign the deal.”
Mr Zelenskyy was in London over the weekend to meet with Sir Keir Starmer and King Charles and took part in a European summit on Ukraine convened by the UK.
Following the summit, Sir Keir announced a “coalition of the willing” to potentially provide boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Read more: The ‘coalition of the willing’ – who’s in, who’s out?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today thanked Foreign Secretary David Lammy for “the UK’s role in encouraging Europe to provide for its own defence and push for peace in Ukraine”, according to US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
“The Secretary confirmed the United States is ready to negotiate to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and will continue working with the UK towards peace in Ukraine,” she said.
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