Scandal for two: what will Zelensky's quarrel with Trump lead to?

Relations between the USA and Ukraine have sharply deteriorated. President Donald Trump said that Zelensky's rating is only 4 percent, Ukraine does not seek peace, also hinted at Kiev's plundering of $350 billion in American aid. "Izvestia" dealt with the consequences of this conflict.

Trump listed the claims to Ukraine

Donald Trump, after the Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia, hit Vladimir Zelensky with harsh criticism. According to the American leader, the Ukrainian president's rating has fallen to 4 percent, and Ukraine does not seek peace and actually disrupts the ceasefire. "You should have ended it three years ago, you could have made an agreement. I could have made an agreement for Ukraine that would have given Kiev almost all the land, not a single person would have died, not a single city would have been destroyed, not a single church dome would have been damaged. But you decided to go the other way," he said. At the same time, he added that Russia treated Ukraine humanely and "did not destroy Kiev".

The second important point concerns the agreement on rare earth metals. According to Trump, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent came to Kiev in mid-February, but he was "treated rudely." "He traveled for many hours on a train, and that's a dangerous trip, plus we're talking about the Treasury Secretary. He went there to sign a document and came back empty-handed, he was essentially turned down. Zelensky was asleep and unavailable for the meeting," Trump complained, adding that he plans to still get a deal done in the future.

The third point concerns financial aid to Ukraine. According to Trump, European countries sent Kiev about $100 billion, and the U.S. sent more than $300 billion. "But where is all this money, where did it go? I've never seen an accounting of it," the US leader said. Later he added that Zelensky convinced the US to spend $350 billion. "The US has allocated 200 billion more than Europe, but European money is guaranteed, and the US gets nothing in return," he said.

It is interesting that Trump speaks about Russia in a completely different tone. First he positively assessed the meeting in Saudi Arabia, then in a conversation with journalists he noted that the Russians have serious trump cards on their hands. "I think the Russians want the war to end. But they have trump cards because they have seized a lot of territory," he noted. At the same time, he spoke of hopes for cooperation on other issues, such as nuclear disarmament.

"It will be very difficult without the United States."

Ukraine reacted violently to Trump's statements. Representatives of the ruling team came out in support of Zelensky. So, the head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak wrote that the country will continue to work and fight. Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuglaya actually sent Trump with a direct text. "I have the right to freedom of speech, thank you, American democracy, taught," she said. The mayor of Dnipro, Boris Filatov, said that no one can open his mouth on the Ukrainian president.

In the opposition, the mood is quite different. For example, Rada MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said that Ukraine was on the verge of losing a key ally. According to him, what is happening is the result of Zelenskyy's incompetent diplomacy, who "drove the country into such a situation". In turn, the European Solidarity party of former President Petro Poroshenko called for a reformatting of the Cabinet of Ministers, creating a national rescue government, which would allegedly help to close talk about the illegitimacy of the Ukrainian government.

Zelensky himself denied Trump's words about the low rating. He recalled that the latest poll by the pro-government Kiev International Institute of Sociology claims that the Ukrainian President is trusted by 57% of citizens, with the figure allegedly even increased over the past two months. He called the data on the rating of 4% misinformation. "If someone wants to change me right now, then right now it will not come out in any way," - said Zelensky.

In addition, the Ukrainian President challenged Trump's data on the volume of US aid. According to him, Kiev from Washington received not $350 billion, but about $100 billion. "We and the United States have completely different figures, we need to sort out this aid. The war cost us $320 billion. $120 billion was spent by Ukraine, $200 billion by the US and the EU. In total, the US gave us more than $67 billion in arms and $31.5 billion in direct aid to the budget. But the talk that we need to return $500 billion is not a serious conversation," he emphasized.

Finally, he said he was not satisfied with the agreement on rare earth metals drafted by the U.S. side. "There were no security guarantees in this project, and without them it will not be fair. I am always open to you investing in our country, investing in our natural resources. I'm sure our society supports that, our parliament supports that. But if we want to give something, we have to get something in return," he noted.

It is hard to say where the quarrel between Kiev and Washington will lead. One option is that they will gradually settle their differences. It is known that Keith Kellogg, the US president's special envoy for Ukraine, arrived in Kiev on February 19, his rhetoric so far much softer than Trump's. "We are ready to provide the necessary, we understand the need for security guarantees, part of my mission is to listen," he says. By all appearances, Kellogg will try to smooth over the contradictions.

Another option is that the conflict will be long-term. In this case, Ukraine will have a very hard time, in some parameters Kiev is critically dependent on Washington's help, for example, there is nothing, in fact, to replace American air defense systems and ammunition. "Let's be honest - it will be very difficult for us without the US. We must do everything possible to maintain their support," says Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine's GUR.

What experts say

Bogdan Bezpalko, a political scientist and member of the Presidential Council on Interethnic Relations, believes that the disagreements between Trump and Zelensky are just beginning.

- They have different approaches to the conflict in Ukraine. For Trump it is important to stop hostilities on any terms, he will be satisfied with a freeze, full reconciliation, and some other options. It is important for him to show that he is a successful peacemaker, that he can quickly achieve his goals. For Zelensky, on the contrary, the continuation of hostilities is a condition for political and, perhaps, even physical survival. He also has his own vision of national interests, which include the return of territories, accession to the EU and NATO, and much more," he said.

According to the interlocutor, so far the situation for Ukraine looks safe.

- Behind Zelensky is part of the American elite, most of the European leaders. In addition, Joe Biden has provided Ukraine with aid, thanks to which it can hold on for about another six months. If the Europeans throw in something, even longer. In general, it seems to me that this story is similar to the events of the Korean War, where South Korean leader Lee Seung Man had close ties with the U.S., but was against the cessation of hostilities and did not want to leave his post. With great difficulty, he was kicked out only seven years after the conflict was frozen," Bezpalko explains.

Oleg Nemensky, a leading expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, says that relations between Zelensky and Trump are unlikely to improve. The new master of the White House does not value relations with Kiev very much.

- The nature of the Ukrainian conflict will change. If earlier Kiev enjoyed the support of the united West, now it will remain on the balance exclusively of its globalist part. Moreover, if before Ukraine was a battlefield between Russia and the West, now there will also be a conflict between Trumpists and globalists, two branches of Western elites. This situation is very unfavorable for Ukraine and for Zelensky personally. Nevertheless, it should not be simplified, Kiev has the resources for further struggle," he argues.