The key facts
- At the White House, Trump urged Zelensky to seek an end to the war, warning of «very bad consequences» if he refuses
- The US president did not specify exactly what consequences he meant
- Earlier, Trump said Kyiv could have agreed earlier and on better terms, and proposed replacing the negotiator
Statement at the White House
US President Donald Trump, while speaking with journalists at the White House, called on Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelensky to seek an end to hostilities. «Ukraine should seek to end this war. Zelensky should seek to end this war, and if he does not want to, then, in my opinion, it will lead to very bad consequences,» Life.ru quotes him as saying.
Uncertainty in the wording
Trump did not specify exactly what consequences await the Ukrainian side in the event of a refusal to settle the conflict. At the same time, he again made it clear that he considers ending the conflict necessary and expects steps in this direction from Zelensky.
Previous statements
Earlier, the American president had already expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ukrainian leadership. According to him, Kyiv could have agreed to end hostilities earlier and on more favorable terms. In addition, Trump proposed entrusting the negotiations on behalf of Ukraine to another representative instead of Zelensky.
Context
Trump also stated that Russia is interested in a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. He has repeatedly called for an end to hostilities, naming diplomatic settlement as one of the goals of his administration.
