“We had a meeting after that exchange, after the press was asked to leave, and we advised the president pretty much unanimously that after that insult in the Oval Office we just do not see how that could move forward, that any further engagement would only go backwards from this moment on,” he told Fox News.
Waltz added that productive negotiations and a minerals deal would have been a “positive moment for Ukraine.” “Instead, what became clear and, I think, what has the president so frustrated and, frankly, angry, is that it’s not clear that Zelensky truly wants to stop the fighting,” he noted.
The US national security advisor also noted that, following the argument, the Ukrainian envoy to Washington and Zelensky’s aides “practically in tears” begged to continue with the talks but Zelensky continued to argue because he got used to Washington’s unconditional support. “That’s what he heard for years from Biden,” Waltz noted. “He has not gotten the memo that this is a new sheriff in town, this is a new president, and we are determined to take a new approach towards peace,” the US official concluded.
“I think he did his country a true disservice,” Waltz emphasized while noting that Zelensky’s behavior was unacceptable.
On February 28, Zelensky arrived at the White House for a meeting with Trump. Their televised exchange, with reporters present, unraveled into a shouting match, with Trump scolding Zelensky for being disrespectful to the US, and Vice President JD Vance noting that Zelensky had not ever said a “thank you” for all the support provided to Kiev. A news conference scheduled to follow the meeting was canceled, and Trump posted a statement on the Truth Social media platform saying that Zelensky was disrespectful and not ready for peace.
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