Trump says Zelenskyy should be replaced as Ukraine negotiator

Trump attacks Zelenskyy's leadership

US President Donald Trump on Monday directly called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced as Kyiv's chief negotiator, asserting that the wartime leader has failed to grasp the reality of the situation and missed opportunities to secure peace. Speaking to reporters before departing the White House, Trump delivered a scathing assessment of Zelenskyy's handling of the nearly three-year conflict.

“Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about. Zelensky is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago. If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago,” Trump said. He added that Zelenskyy “is not helping matters much” and suggested the Ukrainian leader “doesn't want to stop it,” contrasting this with his own desire to “see people not die.”

Calls for new negotiating figure

Trump argued that the devastating toll of the war necessitates a change in representation for Ukraine at the bargaining table. “I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine because what's happened? A tremendous number of people are dead. They're losing their male population,” he stated.

“Maybe it's time for Zelensky to get somebody else to negotiate,” Trump added, emphasizing the demographic crisis facing Ukraine as the conflict continues. The US president also framed the military assistance provided to Kyiv in transactional terms, noting that Washington has supplied substantial aid while receiving nothing in return. “We've given a lot to Ukraine. They've given us nothing,” he said.

Open to Putin-Xi summit

Beyond his criticism of Zelenskyy, Trump indicated openness to a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, though he denied that such a summit has been formally arranged. “No, but I would do it. Not so much for Ukraine because Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine,” Trump said, suggesting that Moscow has conducted itself acceptably in the conflict.

Nuclear disarmament would top the agenda in any such meeting, according to the US president. “We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization,” he stated. “We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. Russia is second, China is third, but catching up. China was way behind, and now they're catching up. It'll take about probably five years.”

Asked whether he would meet Putin and Xi to discuss ending the war without Zelenskyy present, Trump replied he would do “anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody's there or not.”

Russia and China's Iran stance

Trump also addressed the relationship between Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran, claiming that both Russia and China have provided only limited support to Iran despite their close diplomatic ties. “Russia could have done a lot more to help Iran. Russia's done very little for Iran. China could have done a lot more for Iran,” he said. “I view that as being a very positive thing,” Trump added, suggesting their restraint represents a favorable development for regional stability.