In his post on Truth Social, Trump also accused Zelensky of taking advantage of American taxpayer money, stating that he 'played Biden like a fiddle', and that the United States had sent too much money to Ukraine. He went on to call Zelensky a 'modestly successful comedian', and stated that the war in Ukraine could never have been won, and that it should not have been started in the first place.
The remarks came after a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian officials, including Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Saudi Arabia earlier this week. This marked the first time that high-ranking American officials met with their Russian counterparts since the beginning of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine was not invited to the talks, despite Saudi officials pushing for Ukrainian representatives to be present at the summit. According to one Saudi official, both America and Russia agreed beforehand that Ukraine 'should not be invited'.
Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during a press conference that Trump is stuck in a 'Russian bubble of misinformation', which may have prompted the President's outburst on Truth Social. Some outlets relate Trump's 'angry text' to the fact that Ukraine reportedly rejected an American proposal earlier this week that would have seen the United States gaining control over billions of dollars worth of precious mineral reserves in Ukraine.
Zelensky reportedly rejected the proposal because it was initially meant as a concession to the United States, in exchange for continued American support to Ukraine and its fight against Russia. However, the Trump administration, both through its rhetoric and actions, has shown itself less and less willing to make such guarantees.
Since President Trump took office on January 20, Ukraine and its European allies have become increasingly worried about a lack of American support to the Ukrainian war effort. Without direct US financial and military assistance, it is unlikely that Ukraine can fight a prolonged defensive war. European nations have already taken steps to continue supporting Ukraine in case the United States ceases all support, with France tacitly proposing the deployment of up to 35,000 soldiers in Ukraine on what it describes as 'non-combat duties'.
During his election campaign, President Trump repeatedly stated he would end the war in Ukraine on 'day one'. While this may not have succeeded, a peace agreement is looking more and more likely, and it likely won't quite be in favor of Ukraine, considering the worsening situation on the battlefield. 'Zelensky has to make a deal fast, or he won't have any land left!', Trump wrote on Truth Social today, as he continues to ramp up diplomatic pressure to reach a deal on Ukraine.