Top Washington officials on Sunday suggested that Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy might have to step down if a peace deal is to be reached, underscoring President Donald Trump’s stunning shift in approach to the war with Russia.
This was as they ramped up pressure on the Ukrainian leader after a contentious White House meeting last week.
European leaders backed Zelenskyy at a meeting in London on Sunday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging his counterparts to step up their defense efforts, just two days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, spurring him to leave early without signing a planned minerals deal.
The heated argument, which showcased Vance in an attack dog role for his boss, stunned leaders around the world and raised questions about the next phase of the war, which Russia started by invading Ukraine three years ago.
Zelenskyy argued in the meeting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not honored a 2019 ceasefire agreement and described him as a killer and a terrorist.
According to Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, it was not clear to the administration that Zelenskyy was ready to negotiate an end to the war.
Waltz stressed Trump’s goal for a permanent peace between Moscow and Kyiv involving territorial concessions in exchange for European-led security guarantees.