Trump: Zelensky ‘has no cards,’ ‘shouldn’t be at meetings’ with Russia

*Originally published in The Hill

Editor’s Note:
Today we’re reporting on a pretty shocking meeting at the White House. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy came to sign a deal with President Trump about Ukraine’s valuable minerals, but things quickly went off the rails.

Instead of a friendly agreement, the meeting turned into a shouting match between Trump, Vice President Vance, and Zelenskyy. Trump accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for American help and for getting in the way of peace talks with Russia. Zelenskyy defended himself, saying he’s thanked America many times and that past deals with Russia haven’t worked.

The planned signing ceremony was canceled, and White House staff later asked Zelenskyy to leave.

This political blowup is a big deal for U.S.-Ukraine relations.

BY BRETT SAMUELS – 02/21/25

President Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, saying he did not think it was important for Zelensky to attend negotiations about the war in Ukraine.

Trump acknowledged in a Fox News Radio interview with Brian Kilmeade that Russia attacked Ukraine but still suggested former President Biden and Zelensky shared blame for failing to talk down Moscow.

“I’ve been watching for years, and I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards,” Trump said of Zelensky. “He has no cards. And you get sick of it.”

“So, I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you,” Trump added. “He makes it very hard to make deals.”

Trump suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine. He claimed Putin did not necessarily have to negotiate a ceasefire, because if he wanted, he’d get “the whole country.”

“Every time I say, ‘Oh, it’s not Russia’s fault,’ I always get slammed by the fake news,” Trump told Kilmeade. “But I’m telling you, Biden said the wrong things. Zelensky said the wrong things. They got attacked by somebody that’s much bigger and much stronger.”

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after amassing troops on the border and demanding a ban on Ukraine ever joining NATO. The invasion took place nearly a decade after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Trump has become increasingly critical of the Ukrainian leader, in recent days calling him a “dictator without elections,” claiming he was doing a “terrible job” and falsely suggesting he was the one who started the war with Russia.

Trump administration officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia earlier this week to start talks about ending the war. Zelensky had expressed frustration that Ukrainian officials were not involved in the discussions.

Trump administration officials have pushed for Ukraine to accept a deal that would give the United States a stake in Ukraine’s rare mineral supply, arguing the economic agreement would create an incentive for the U.S. to provide security guarantees for Kyiv. Zelensky has said he was presented with the proposal last week with little notice or time to assess the deal.

“President Zelensky is going to sign that deal, and you will see it in the very short term,” national security adviser Mike Waltz said Friday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

After the Kilmeade interview, Trump again chided Ukraine during remarks to a bipartisan group of governors at the White House.

“I’ve had very good talks with Putin,” he said, and “not such good talks with Ukraine.”