Photo:Screenshot from video / Voice of America
US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held tense talks in Washington on 28 February, during which the US leader bluntly stated that Kyiv would have to compromise with Moscow.
The meeting, part of which was broadcast live, escalated into an outright conflict between the leaders. Trump said he had already discussed the parameters of a possible peace deal with Putin and stressed that Russia was interested in ending the war.
The American president has explicitly set a condition: Ukraine either signs the agreement or loses US support. He stressed that the deal would be difficult, but Kyiv had to change its attitude. Trump said that Ukraine either signs a deal or fights on its own, but it has no trump cards.
He was supported by Vice President J.D. Vance, who accused Zelenskyy of ingratitude and hinted that Kyiv should be more loyal to Washington.
The Ukrainian president stressed that ending the war is impossible without long-term security guarantees and international control. He called on the United States to support the initiative of the United Kingdom and France to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine, as without Washington’s support this plan may not be implemented.
Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine needs air defence systems to protect civilians. During the meeting, he showed Trump photos of the aftermath of Russian shelling and stressed that even in war, there are rules, but Russia has none.
The most resonant was Trump’s statement that Zelenskyy was gambling with World War III. He stressed that the US was not going to arm Ukraine indefinitely and wanted the war to end as soon as possible.
According to Trump, Kyiv is not in a position to dictate terms, and Washington wants to end this war. When Zelenskyy tried to respond, Trump interrupted him, saying that he had already said enough.
The leaders also discussed an agreement on the extraction of rare earth metals in Ukraine. The agreement gives US companies access to Ukraine’s strategic resources, but does not contain any security guarantees.
Trump said that the American presence in business is already a form of guarantee, but did not explain how this would help Kyiv in the event of a threat from Russia.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ukraine will transfer 50% of the proceeds from the monetisation of natural resources to a reconstruction fund to be managed by the US and Ukraine. However, it is not yet known how these funds will be used.
The Washington talks revealed serious differences between Trump and Zelenskyy. The US has made it clear that it does not want the war to continue, while Kyiv insists on security guarantees and military support.
The coming weeks will show whether Trump is ready to reach a deal that is acceptable not only to Moscow but also to Kyiv, or whether Ukraine will remain at a crossroads without clear guarantees of future security.
