6 months ago
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WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump connected Monday directed a "pause" to U.S. assistance to Ukraine aft a disastrous Oval Office gathering arsenic helium seeks to unit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to prosecute successful bid talks with Russia.
A White House authoritative said Trump is focused connected reaching a bid woody to extremity the much than three-year warfare sparked by Russia's all-out penetration of Ukraine, and wants Zelenskyy "committed" to that goal. The authoritative added that the U.S. was "pausing and reviewing" its assistance to "ensure that it is contributing to a solution." The authoritative spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon the assistance.
The infinitesimal comes immoderate 5 years aft Trump held up congressionally authorized assistance to Ukraine successful 2019 arsenic helium sought to unit Zelenskyy to motorboat investigations into Joe Biden, past a Democratic statesmanlike candidate. The infinitesimal led to Trump's archetypal impeachment.
Trump successful the leadup to his 2024 predetermination triumph vowed to rapidly extremity the warfare successful Ukraine. He's expressed expanding vexation with Zelenskyy implicit the war, portion simultaneously expressing assurance that Russian President Vladimir Putin tin beryllium trusted to support the bid if a truce successful the struggle is reached.
Trump earlier connected Monday slammed Zelenskyy for suggesting that the extremity of Russia's warfare against Ukraine apt "is inactive very, precise acold away."
The comments travel arsenic salient Trump allies escalate unit connected Zelenskyy to dramatically alteration his attack to the U.S. president, who has made rapidly ending the warfare a apical priority, oregon measurement aside.
The agelong analyzable narration betwixt the leaders has reached a nadir pursuing the disastrous White House gathering successful which Trump and Vice President JD Vance excoriated Zelenskyy for not being sufficiently thankful for U.S. enactment for Ukraine since Putin ordered the February 2022 invasion.
"This is the worst connection that could person been made by Zelenskyy, and America volition not enactment up with it for overmuch longer!" Trump said successful a station connected his Truth Social level astir the comments Zelenskyy made precocious Sunday portion speaking to reporters successful London.
Trump astatine an lawsuit astatine the White House aboriginal connected Monday referred to Zelenskyy's reported comments, and asserted the Ukrainian person "better not beryllium close astir that."
"If idiosyncratic doesn't privation to marque a deal, I deliberation that idiosyncratic won't beryllium astir precise long," Trump added. "That idiosyncratic volition not beryllium listened to precise long."
Trump took contented with Zelenskyy suggesting it would instrumentality clip to travel to an statement to extremity the war. The Ukrainian person besides tried to connection a affirmative instrumentality connected the U.S.-Ukraine narration successful the aftermath of past week's White House meeting.
Asked by a newsman astir the outlines of a caller European inaugural to extremity Russia's war, Zelenskyy said: "We are talking astir the archetypal steps today, and, therefore, until they are connected paper, I would not similar to speech astir them successful large detail."
"An statement to extremity the warfare is inactive very, precise acold away, and nary 1 has started each these steps yet," helium added.
But Trump was lone further irritated by Zelenskyy's suggesting it volition instrumentality clip for the struggle to travel to a close.
"It is what I was saying, this feline doesn't privation determination to beryllium Peace arsenic agelong arsenic helium has America's backing and, Europe, successful the gathering they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot bash the occupation without the U.S. - Probably not a large connection to person been made successful presumption of a amusement of spot against Russia," Trump added successful his post. "What are they thinking?"
Zelenskyy took to societal media soon aft Trump's latest criticism. He did not straight notation to Trump's comments, but underscored that it "is precise important that we effort to marque our diplomacy truly substantive to extremity this warfare the soonest possible."
"We request existent bid and Ukrainians privation it astir due to the fact that the warfare ruins our cities and towns," Zelenskyy added. "We suffer our people. We request to halt the warfare and to warrant security."
Trump's nationalist information advisor said Zelenskyy's posture during Friday's Oval Office talks "put up successful the air" whether he's idiosyncratic the U.S. medication volition beryllium capable to woody with going forward.
"Is helium ready, personally, politically, to determination his state towards an extremity to the fighting?" Mike Waltz said connected Fox News' "America's Newsroom" earlier Monday. "And tin helium and volition helium marque the compromises necessary?"
Waltz added different furniture of uncertainty astir U.S. enactment arsenic different high-profile Trump allies person suggested that the narration betwixt Trump and Zelenskyy is becoming untenable.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Zelenskyy "needs to travel to his senses and travel backmost to the array successful gratitude oregon idiosyncratic other needs to pb the country" for Ukraine to proceed pursuing a bid woody negotiated by the United States.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump state who has been a vociferous protagonist of Ukraine, said soon aft the Oval Office gathering that Zelenskyy "either needs to resign and nonstop idiosyncratic implicit that we tin bash concern with, oregon helium needs to change."
Angela Stent, a erstwhile nationalist quality serviceman for Russia and Eurasia astatine the National Intelligence Council, said Putin is apt successful nary unreserved to extremity the warfare amid the fissures betwixt Trump and Zelenskyy and Europe and the U.S. astir the mode ahead.
"He is not funny successful ending the war," said Stent, a elder chap astatine the Brookings Institution successful Washington. "He thinks Russia is winning. ... And helium thinks that arsenic clip goes on, the West volition beryllium much fractured."
Trump medication and Ukrainian officials had been expected to motion disconnected connected a woody during Zelenskyy's sojourn past week that would person fixed the U.S. entree to Ukraine's captious minerals successful portion to wage backmost much than $180 cardinal successful assistance the U.S. has sent Kyiv since the commencement of the war. The White House has besides billed specified a pact arsenic a mode to tighten U.S.-Ukrainian relations successful the agelong term.
The signing was scrapped aft the leaders' Oval Office talks went disconnected the rails and White House officials asked Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian delegation to leave.
Trump connected Monday, however, suggested helium hasn't fixed up connected the economical pact, calling it "a large deal." He added that helium expected to talk to the woody during his Tuesday code earlier a associated league of Congress.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, spoke with Zelenskyy's main of staff, Andriy Yermak, connected Monday astir getting the mineral rights woody backmost connected track.
Fitzpatrick aft the lengthy telephone predicted the "deal volition beryllium signed successful abbreviated order."
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AP writer Tracy Brown contributed reporting.
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