Steve Holland and Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Friday he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to sign a mineral deal with the United States, which is to terminate Ukraine The war effort, and President Donald Trump said that Kiev had no cards and no cards to play.
The chief of staff of Ukrainian president Andriy Yermak, who was in a “alliance” with Waltz on Friday after a sharp exchange between Trump and Ukrainian leaders on Friday Position”.
Trump deepened the two leaders by condemning Zelenskiy as a “dictator” on Wednesday and warned him that he must act quickly to ensure peace with Russia or risk losing his country. dispute.
The sharp change in tone of the U.S., Ukraine’s most important supporter, shocked European officials and feared that Kiev might be forced into a peace deal in favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskiy once said Trump was trapped in a “false information bubble” but later downplayed his remarks and said he wanted pragmatism toward America.
Zelenskiy on Wednesday rejected U.S. demand for Ukraine’s $500 billion mineral wealth to repay Washington’s wartime aid, saying the U.S. has not provided the payment so far and has not provided specific security in the agreement ensure.
Zelenskiy’s office said that during the call with Waltz, Yermak “emphasized the importance of maintaining bilateral cooperation and the high level of relations between Ukraine and the United States.”
“This is the bottom line, President Zelensky will sign the deal, and you will see that in the near term,” Waltz said at a Conservative Political Action Conference in the suburbs of Washington.
Walz said Thursday that Zelensky needed to return to the negotiating table.
Asked about Waltz’s latest comment, Ukrainian government sources said the two sides were still “talking”.
“They don’t have cards”
Trump was critical of Zelenskiy while speaking at a White House event on Friday, while making negative comments to Putin.
“I had a good conversation with Putin and I had a good conversation with Ukraine,” Trump said. “They don’t have any cards, but they’re doing it hard.”
German Chancellors Olaf Scholz and Zelenskiy spoke over the phone and agreed that Ukraine must sit at the table in future peace talks, the German government said on Friday.
