February 19, 2025
2 mins read

Trump’s Ultimatum to ‘Dictator’ Zelensky

The warning came after Zelensky complained that Ukraine was not at the talks between US and Russian diplomats in Riyadh…reports Asian Lite News

As tensions mounted, US President Donald Trump warned Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky that a deal with Russia to end the three-year Ukraine War could move forward—without his involvement.

Zelensky “better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.

“We are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP’, and the Trump Administration, can do,” he said.

The warning came after Zelensky complained that Ukraine was not at the talks between US and Russian diplomats in Riyadh, and said that his country would not accept a peace deal reached without its participation.

In a personal attack on Trump, Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that Trump was “living in a web of disinformation”.

Trump shot back that Zelensky was a “dictator without elections”.

Earlier, Trump had accused Ukraine of starting the war, although Russia had invaded it.

Trump calling Zelensky a “dictator” has to do with Ukraine not holding elections because of the war last year after his five-year term ended.

As the principal financier and supporter of Ukraine’s war efforts, Trump appears to believe that he could unilaterally compel Kyiv to accept peace terms that he works out with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Delegations headed by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed for more than four hours on Tuesday how to end the war and both sides said there was progress.

Rubio said that Russia was ready for “a serious process” to quickly end the war, and Lavrov called the talks “useful”.

One of the side outcomes of the talks was the agreement to restore their embassies to a full working level since they now have only scaled down diplomatic presences.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said the US bore an unequal burden compared to Europe in supporting Ukraine.

He said, “Zelensky talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the US and ‘TRUMP’, will never be able to settle.”

Since the European countries are Ukraine’s neighbours, unlike the US which is separated by an ocean, their contributions and the US’ should be equal.

Trump also hit out at his predecessor Joe Biden asserting that Zelensky “played him like a fiddle” and Biden didn’t try to find peace.

Russia holds about 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory, while Kyiv has captured only a small part of Russian territory in the region around Kursk.

In a peace deal, it is unlikely that Ukraine would regain all its territory.

US Defence Minister Pete Hegseth said that it would be unrealistic for Ukraine to go back to the pre-2014 borders when Russia annexed Crimea and after the war began in 2022, captured more territory.

He also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine.

ALSO READ: US Blasts China for ‘Dangerous Maneuvers’ Towards Philippines Plane

Previous Story

Neonatal Seizures Increase Risk of Epilepsy in 1 in 5 Babies

Next Story

Trump: Russia Talks Were ‘Positive’

Latest from -Top News

Iran Ready for ‘All-Out’ Saudi Cooperation

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran and engaged in crucial meetings with top Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a significant step

Trump confident of trade deal with EU

Meloni is the first European leader to visit Washington since Trump imposed, then paused, 20% tariffs on imports from the bloc Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni talked up the chances of a
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Sanctions on 34 firms over Russia, Iran, China ties

Commerce Department says sanctions were imposed for their involvement or

‘I see bloodshot racism’: Africans threatened by armed vigilantes in Ukraine

Africans fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine are suffering racism,