Posts

Trump Reveals What He Told Zelenskyy During Viral Meeting at the Vatican

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday evening what he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed during their viral meeting at the Vatican when both were in attendance for the late Pope Francis’ funeral.

“I was telling him that it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger,” Trump said Tuesday evening during a town hall hosted by NewsNation, which he participated in by phone.

The pair met face-to-face for the first time since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February, while both attended the papal funeral. Neither White House or Ukrainian officials gave many details on the nature or content of the talk, other than that it was “productive” and “symbolic.”

“We discussed a lot one on one,” Zelenskyy posted on X following the viral meeting. “Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.” (Read more from “Trump Reveals What He Told Zelenskyy During Viral Meeting at the Vatican” HERE)

Trump Says Zelensky Is the Stumbling Block to Peace in Ukraine, Will Meet With Putin Soon

/0 Comments/in , /by

Volodymyr Zelensky surprised the U.S. President by being the more difficult of the two principals to negotiate with in the Ukraine War talks, Donald Trump said, expressing hope for talks for the sake of the “humanity” of those being killed.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his hope there is still a deal to be achieved to bring peace to the Ukraine War in Oval Office remarks that follow days of comments from key players that clearly suggest talks are on the brink of collapse. While Russia and Ukraine daily accuse each other of undermining the process, and overnight Russia has launched a major assault on Kyiv with at least eight dead in the air-raid, President Trump named Ukraine’s Zelensky for dragging his heels on peace.

On Tuesday, President Zelensky dismissed a compromise peace where Russia would be able to keep Crimea in return for handing back several Ukrainian provinces and ending the fighting, stating he was sticking to his maximalist absolute victory policy. Zelensky said, as reported: “There is nothing to talk about – it is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people”.

President Trump had already responded to these words in a social media post, reminding the Ukrainian that “Crimea was lost years ago” during the Obama era and that his remarks were “very harmful to the peace negotiations”. Following up in the Oval Office on Wednesday evening as he spoke with reporters while signing executive orders, the U.S. President remarked: “I will say I think that Russia is ready, and a lot of people said Russia wanted to go for the whole thing, I think we have a deal with Russia.

“We have to get a deal with Zelensky. I thought it might be easier to get a deal with Zelensky but so far it has been harder, but that’s OK, it’s alright. But I think we have a deal with both, I hope they do it… this is about a lot of humanity.” (Read more from “Trump Says Zelensky Is the Stumbling Block to Peace in Ukraine, Will Meet With Putin Soon” HERE)

Trump Will Walk Away From Ukraine Talks in Days if Moscow and Kyiv Aren’t Serious About Peace, Warns Rubio

/0 Comments/in , /by

The United States will do whatever it takes to get peace in Ukraine as long as “either side or both” actually engage in the process, but as things stand now America will “move on” within days if there are no signs of progress.

Neither Ukraine or Russia are engaging in the peace process properly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested on Friday morning as he boarded his flight back to the U.S., saying if there isn’t a breakthrough in the peace process within days the United States would disengage.

The United States is not willing to attend endless unproductive meetings, and meetings for the sake of having meetings, Rubio told press on the tarmac in barely-veiled criticism of both Moscow and Kyiv. He said: “We came here yesterday to begin to talk about more specific outlines of what it might take to end the war, to try to figure out very soon and I’m talking about a matter of days, not a matter of weeks, whether or not this is a war that can be ended.

“If it can, we’re prepared to do whatever we can to facilitate that to make sure that happens, that it ends in a durable and just way.

If there are no indications the two sides are actually willing to agree to a ceasefire — previous bids to establish such a state have been met with further demands for concessions, conditions, and carveouts — then “the President’s probably at a point where he’s going to say ‘well, we’re done’.” (Read more from “Trump Will Walk Away From Ukraine Talks in Days if Moscow and Kyiv Aren’t Serious About Peace, Warns Rubio” HERE)

Zelensky Says ‘Good Progress’ on U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday reported “good progress” on negotiations for a mineral rights deal between Ukraine and the United States.

“The basic legal stuff is almost finalized, and then, if everything moves as quickly and constructively, the agreement will bring economic results to both our countries,” Zelensky said in his daily address to the Ukrainian people.

Zelensky’s remarks echoed the assessment given by Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who said “significant progress” has been made on the deal.

According to Svyrydenko, Ukrainian negotiators have “adjusted several items within a draft agreement.” If the American side is satisfied with those adjustments, a memorandum of intent could be signed very soon.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that a deal “could even be signed as early as this week.” (Read more from “Zelensky Says ‘Good Progress’ on U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal” HERE)

President Trump Hits Zelensky With Stern Warning as He Threatens to Back Out of Rare Mineral Deal

/0 Comments/in , /by

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did.

“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems,” Trump told reporters.

“He wants to be a member of NATO, but he’s never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.” (Read more from “President Trump Hits Zelensky With Stern Warning as He Threatens to Back Out of Rare Mineral Deal” HERE)

Zelensky Calls Oval Office Meeting ‘Regrettable,’ Says He Is Ready to Negotiate, Thanks Trump

/7 Comments/in , /by

By Breitbart. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he was ready to come to the negotiating table to begin peace talks and expressed regret over last week’s meeting at the White House where he sparred with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance and blew a minerals deal with the U.S.

Zelensky wrote on X:

I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.

None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.

The tone was very different than the last 10 minutes of the meeting in the Oval Office with Trump, Vance, and other members of the cabinet who have worked to get Russia and Ukraine into peace talks, beginning with a U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal.

The meeting began amicably and went on for about 40 minutes without issue, until a Polish reporter asked Trump about being “close” to Putin. Trump initially responded, and Vance jumped in with a response, and then Zelensky challenged Vance. (Read more from “Zelensky Calls Oval Office Meeting ‘Regrettable,’ Says He Is Ready to Negotiate, Thanks Trump” HERE)

__________________________________________________

Ukraine Selling T-Shirts With Zelensky Quote From Trump-Vance Meeting

By The Hill. The Ukrainian government has launched a T-shirt fundraising effort seeking to capitalize on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s now-infamous Oval Office meeting Friday with President Trump and Vice President Vance.

The meeting, which unraveled to such an extent that a joint press conference between the two sides scheduled for afterward was canceled, included multiple moments that went viral, such as when Zelensky was criticized for not wearing a suit. He has dressed in more military-themed garb since Russia invaded his country three years ago.

United24, a Ukrainian state-sponsored platform that raises funds amid the ongoing war, is raffling off 100 T-shirts with Zelensky’s response: “I’ll wear a costume when the war is over.”

In Ukrainian, the word “costume” is used as a translated term for suit.

The raffle is open to those who donate $24 or more toward Kyiv’s defense efforts. (Read more from “Ukraine Selling T-Shirts With Zelensky Quote From Trump-Vance Meeting” HERE)

Ukrainian MP Calls for Crucial Impeachment Proceedings Against Zelensky

/0 Comments/in , /by

A member of the Ukrainian Parliament has called for impeachment proceedings against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, asserting that such actions are crucial for the future of the nation’s leadership. The call comes amid growing criticism of Zelenskyy’s public humiliation of Ukraine following his disastrous meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House last week. With his increasingly authoritarian approach to governance and downright refusal to accept a peace and rare Earth minerals deal with the U.S., Zelenskyy’s foreign policy missteps have led to Ukraine’s isolation on the global stage.

Alexander Dubinsky, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, is calling for an emergency session to initiate impeachment proceedings against Zelenskyy. He accused the Ukrainian president of diplomatic failures, the country’s loss of unconditional U.S. support, and the regime’s complete collapse.

“Zelensky has not only failed in foreign policy – he has driven the country into a state where anyone who disagrees with his course faces repression,” he said in a statement.

Dubinsky criticized Zelenskyy’s stubbornness for the country’s reaching a dead end, noting that Ukraine has no more cards to play.

“Zelenskyy has lost,” Dubinsky said, echoing Trump’s previous remarks. “If he cannot offer a real way out of the crisis, then it is up to us to make fateful decisions.” (Read more from “Ukrainian MP Calls for Crucial Impeachment Proceedings Against Zelensky” HERE)

Zelensky Shuts Down Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in War With Russia

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky shot down the prospect of agreeing to an immediate ceasefire with Russia despite his country being on the back foot after three years of war with a much larger adversary.

Apparently bolstered by fawning displays of support from European leaders in London on Sunday, Zelensky expressed intent to continue the war until he is satisfied with the security guarantees on offer from Western powers.

“If you don’t have an end to the war and you don’t have security guarantees, no one is able to control a ceasefire,” Zelensky said, according to the Financial Times.

The Ukrainian leader argued that Russia’s history of launching invasions after agreeing to previous cease-fires have convinced him that a meaningful deterrent would need to be in place before Kyiv stands down its forces.

“For us, security guarantees are confidence that the same things won’t happen after this hot stage [is over],” he said. (Read more from “Zelensky Shuts Down Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in War With Russia” HERE)

Trump: ‘America Will Not Put Up With’ Zelensky’s Anti-Peace Rhetoric ‘Much Longer’

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Donald Trump said the United States “will not put up with” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s anti-peace rhetoric “much longer.”

Trump took to Truth Social after the Associated Press reported Monday that Zelensky said peace between Russia and Ukraine “is still very, very far away.”

“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!” Trump wrote, sharing an image of the AP headline.

“It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing,” Trump added before zoning in on the meeting between Zelensky and European leaders over the weekend. (Read more from “Trump: ‘America Will Not Put Up With’ Zelensky’s Anti-Peace Rhetoric ‘Much Longer’” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Mike Johnson Weighs In on Trump-Zelensky Clash

/0 Comments/in , /by

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Sunday that while the U.S. is committed to supporting Ukraine, he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s focus is misaligned. In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Johnson emphasized that although the U.S. will continue assisting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, its leadership needs to prioritize domestic reforms and stability. He also argued that someone other than Zelenskyy must step forward to lead the foreign country toward peace and long-term success, suggesting a shift in strategy for Ukraine.

Following Friday’s disastrous meeting in the Oval Office with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy, during which the Ukrainian leader seemed more inclined to extract every penny from the U.S. than seek peace for his country, Johnson urged Zelenskyy to come to his senses. The House Speaker echoed similar remarks from Republicans who have called on Zelenskyy to be more grateful to the United States after it has shelled out billions of dollars in aid and military weapons in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

“Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude, or someone else needs to lead the country to do that,” Johnson said. “President Trump has brought back strength to the White House. We need these parties to go along with this, and we need President Zelenskyy to do what is necessary. This war has drug on far too long. He’s lost hundreds of thousands of people, including women and children. We’ve got to bring an end to it. And I think our European allies are hoping that that is the case, and we are as well.”

Johnson stressed that the U.S. was not abandoning Ukraine but that Zelenskyy must want peace for his nation. He called it a “grave disappointment” that the foreign leader refused to cooperate with Trump during a meeting at the White House, pointing out that it’s apparent Zelenskyy is not ready to talk about any sort of peace agreement. (Read more from “Mike Johnson Weighs In on Trump-Zelensky Clash” HERE)