Donald Trump Wednesday night launched a scathing attack on Volodymyr Zelensky after he rejected the terms of a Ukraine peace deal.
The US President accused him of ‘prolonging the “killing field”’ by refusing to give up territory.
And Mr Trump warned the Ukrainian president he can ‘have peace, or he can fight for another three years before losing the whole country’.
The White House tried to turn the screw yesterday, with vice president JD Vance telling Kyiv to surrender land or the US would walk away.
But Mr Zelensky is refusing to countenance any Russian claim to annexed Crimea, or hand over a fifth of the country to the Kremlin, as per the US-dictated deal put forward.
Planned high-level talks in London were scuppered yesterday when two members of Mr Trump’s top team suddenly pulled out.
Peace envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio were due to sit down with UK, European and Ukrainian officials, hosted by Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
But in a humiliating move, they withdrew at the 11th hour, sending Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg instead, as Kyiv refused to buckle to American ultimatums.
Instead, Mr Witkoff was said to be on his way to Moscow last night for a meeting with Vladimir Putin tomorrow.
US attempts to strongarm Ukraine into concessions have also placed strain on the ‘special relationship’ with Britain.
