Relations between the United States and Ukraine appear to be growing increasingly strained, with reports suggesting that President Donald Trump has considered scaling back military assistance to Kyiv due to frustrations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sources familiar with internal White House discussions told Axios that Zelensky’s recent actions have irritated not only Trump but also Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
A significant point of contention has been Zelensky’s reluctance to proceed with a proposed U.S.-Ukraine agreement on rare earth minerals. According to sources within the administration, Trump was particularly annoyed by what he perceived as a dismissive attitude from Zelensky toward U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant during a diplomatic visit to Kyiv. The disagreement came to a head at the Munich Security Conference, where Zelensky publicly announced that he lacked the authority to unilaterally approve the deal, an unexpected stance that reportedly caught Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio off guard.
Further escalating tensions were Zelensky’s critical remarks regarding recent U.S.-Russia diplomatic engagements in Riyadh. His insistence that Ukraine should be involved in negotiations reportedly provoked frustration in Washington. Trump, in private discussions, is said to have labeled Zelensky’s leadership as increasingly autocratic and questioned his declining domestic popularity. He also renewed calls for Ukraine to hold national elections, a point of contention amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The situation worsened when Zelensky accused Trump of succumbing to Russian misinformation, a statement viewed by White House officials as an unnecessary provocation that further strained relations between the two allies.
In a recent interview with The National Pulse, Vice President Vance expressed concern over Zelensky’s public handling of diplomatic disputes, warning that such an approach risks alienating key allies in Washington.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Ukraine’s exclusion from the Riyadh talks, suggesting that the negotiations were focused on broader U.S.-Russia relations rather than Kyiv’s direct involvement.
As diplomatic tensions continue to simmer, the future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine remains uncertain. Analysts suggest that Washington’s patience with Kyiv’s leadership is wearing thin, raising questions about how U.S. policy toward Ukraine may evolve in the months ahead.