President Donald Trump is done listening to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In an interview on Friday with Fox News's Brian Kilmeade, Trump explained why he felt that Ukrainian leadership didn't need a seat at the table in peace talks with Russia.
"[Zelenskyy's] been at a meeting for three years, and nothing got done. So, I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you,” Trump said. “He makes it very hard to make deals. Look what’s happened to his country, it’s been demolished.”
Earlier this week, Trump officials met with a Russian delegation to discuss peace – notably without Ukrainian representation. Trump didn't mince words while speaking with Kilmeade, saying he's sick of talking with Zelenskyy.
“I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it. You just get sick of it. And I’ve had it,” Trump said.
Trump on Zelenskyy: "I've been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards. And you get sick of it. You just get sick of it. And I've had it." pic.twitter.com/37RLR2rOWi
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2025
Trump added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Zelenskyy “couldn’t even come close to getting a deal done” on Trump’s demand that Ukraine give up future stocks of rare earth metals in exchange for continued American support.
Zelenskyy on Wednesday told reporters that the president “lives in a disinformation space” following Trump’s claim that Zelenskyy had a 4 percent approval rating and was serving as a “dictator.”
“We must never forget that Russia is ruled by pathological liars - they cannot be trusted and must be pressured,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Speaking to Kilmeade, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to make a deal” before making a startling admission about just how far in the bag he is for Russia in the ongoing negotiations.
“If he [Putin] wanted, he’d get the whole country,” Trump said.
