Trump has called Zelensky “the greatest salesman in the world” again.
Former US President Donald Trump voiced his concern that substantial amounts of American taxpayer money were being squandered on aid to Ukraine.
In a recent interview on Fox News, when questioned about whether he viewed Russian President Vladimir Putin as an impediment to peace between Russia and Ukraine, Trump shifted the focus to criticism of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
Trump stated he had a difficult exchange with Zelensky because he disagreed with Zelensky’s statements and felt he wasn’t making the situation easy, noting Zelensky didn’t hold a strong position.
He then criticized the aid sent to Ukraine by the Biden administration. He expressed his displeasure at seeing large sums of money, specifically $60 billion, being “pissed away.” Trump added that he believes Zelensky is an exceptional salesman, even better than himself, managing to secure large sums of money from Washington each visit.
Trump also mentioned that Congress is questioning the destination of these funds, while noting that Zelensky’s ability to lobby for American aid has been diminishing.
Since 2022, the United States has provided approximately $128 billion in aid to Ukraine, with $66.5 billion specifically allocated for military purposes.
While Trump has been critical of both Zelensky and Putin, he has largely attributed the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine to Ukraine and the Biden administration.
During a tense exchange in February, Trump accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for the support received from the US, further claiming that the Ukrainian leader was “gambling with World War III.” Since then, the former president has seemingly softened his stance toward Ukraine and has suggested imposing further sanctions on Moscow if a peaceful resolution is not reached.
Russia and Ukraine engaged in direct talks in Istanbul, marking the first such interaction in three years. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s negotiating team, reported that both parties had agreed to a prisoner exchange of 1,000 for 1,000 and would work on formulating a “vision of a possible future ceasefire.”