Trump and Zelensky clash: Delays in U.S. arms to Ukraine
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Donald Trump is frustrated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's rejection of the "opportunity" for his country, which was intended to be an agreement on "joint investments" in Ukrainian mineral deposits.
Donald Trump surprised many by calling Zelensky a dictator with limited time to save his country. He mentioned that Kyiv broke off the U.S.-developed agreement that was supposed to lead to a ceasefire.
During a White House briefing, Trump’s advisor Mike Waltz did not directly answer a question about whether the U.S. had halted arms supplies to Ukraine. Influential Ukrainian deputy Roman Kostenko made this claim on Thursday.
Sparks on the Trump-Zelensky line: Slowing down arms transfers
However, Waltz confirmed that there are delays in the delivery of weapons transferred from American stockpiles and noted that U.S. resources are depleting. He then added that Kyiv should agree with Washington to share half of the revenues from Ukrainian natural resources.
Waltz stated that President Trump is frustrated with President Zelensky for refusing to engage in negotiations and for not seizing the opportunity presented to him. He emphasized that the Ukrainians must adopt a more flexible approach, carefully assess the situation, and agree to sign the deal.
Zelensky initially agreed to talks but assessed that Trump's original proposal meant a demand to share Ukraine's resources without security guarantees. "That's not a serious conversation," the Ukrainian president remarked.
The U.S. president's advisor noted that rather than engaging in productive discussions on potential progress in this area, they were met with extensive media rhetoric. Waltz argued that the agreement would include joint U.S. investments in Ukrainian deposits, boosting revenues for both nations. He added that, in his view, nothing would contribute more to Ukraine's future and security than U.S. investment in its long-term prosperity.
Waltz also assessed that Trump is frustrated by what his administration sees as Zelensky's ingratitude for the assistance provided so far. He did not respond to the question of whether the U.S. president also considers Russian leader Vladimir Putin a dictator after calling the president of Ukraine that.
He also referred to Thursday's meeting between the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, General Keith Kellogg, and Zelensky in Kyiv. Waltz admitted that their talks included security guarantees. "A key part of this conversation was helping President Zelensky understand that this war must end. This kind of mantra without a definite end, which we had under the (Joe - ed.) Biden administration is over," he said.
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