US “changes tone” with Ukraine, President Zelensky makes tough statement

US President Donald Trump unexpectedly criticized his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for “allowing conflict with neighboring Russia”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The conflict has lasted for the past 3 years and there is still no end in sight.

In that context, on February 18, US President  Donald Trump  suddenly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for allowing the conflict with Russia to occur. 

Notably, the criticism from the White House owner was made public just hours after US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss solutions to end the conflict in Ukraine.

“You should not have started that conflict” – President Trump said of Ukraine when criticizing his counterpart Zelensky.

US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting last year. Photo: The Hill

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously expressed concern about the meeting between the Russian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine and the European Union (EU).

“We have the power to end this conflict and I think things are going very well,” CNBC continued to quote President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida (USA) – “I have heard the complaints about why Ukraine is not present in Riyadh. Remember, you have let this conflict happen for 3 years. You could have reached an agreement to stop it.”

The US leader continued: “I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them most of their land, no homes or cities destroyed, and no bloodshed. Unfortunately, Ukraine chose not to do it that way.” 

The 47th US President also said that he could meet the Kremlin owner at the end of February.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Washington has not commented on President Donald Trump’s remarks.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky declared that Kiev will not accept the results of the negotiations between the Russian and US delegations in Saudi Arabia because they were “conducted behind Ukraine’s back”.

“It seems that the US is discussing the ultimatum set by Mr. Putin when he started launching a full-scale military operation in Ukraine,” the Guardian quoted President Zelensky’s statement in Ankara after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on February 18.

“Decisions on Ukraine are again being made without Ukraine,” he added. “I wonder why they believe that Ukraine will now accept all these ultimatums, when we did not yield to it at the most difficult moment?”

British newspaper: Russia – US agree on the end in Ukraine?

At a meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18, Russia and the United States are said to have reached consensus on a process to end the conflict in Ukraine, in which Kiev will sign…