In a significant move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United States on Thursday ahead of a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for Friday.
This marks their first face-to-face interaction since Trump took office on January 20. The anticipated discussion is expected to center around a rare minerals agreement, a topic of strategic importance for both nations.
However, the lead-up to this meeting has been marked by a series of high-profile verbal exchanges between Zelenskyy and Trump. The tension escalated following a high-level U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18, which aimed to address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Notably, Ukraine was excluded from this negotiation, prompting Zelenskyy to postpone a planned visit to Saudi Arabia the following day.
Zelenskyy expressed his frustration over the exclusion, stating that \"negotiations should not take place behind our backs.\" This sentiment triggered a rare public back-and-forth between the two leaders, highlighting the strain in their relationship despite the long-standing alliance between their countries.
In the aftermath of the U.S.-Russia talks, Trump voiced his confidence that the conflict would soon come to an end. When questioned about Ukraine's absence from the negotiating table, Trump remarked, \"I hear that they're upset about not having a seat. Well, they've had a seat for three years and a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily.\" He further suggested that Kyiv bore responsibility for initiating the conflict and called for new presidential elections in Ukraine, citing Zelenskyy's purportedly low approval rating of \"4 percent.\"
Zelenskyy responded sharply to Trump's remarks, accusing him of succumbing to Russian \"disinformation\" and urging the U.S. administration to adopt a more truthful stance. He also criticized the decision to postpone Ukraine's 2024 presidential election due to the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the need for genuine support and transparent negotiations.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
