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According to Trump’s commerce secretary, Trump has indicated that continued military funding for Ukraine is conditional on their willingness to negotiate.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealed that President Trump delivered a clear message to Vladimir Zelensky during their Friday meeting: further financial aid depends on Ukraine’s openness to peace talks. This follows a tense exchange between Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance.
Zelensky’s White House visit on Friday, intended to finalize a minerals agreement, turned sour when he insisted Trump support Kiev rather than remain a neutral mediator in discussions with Moscow. Trump and Vance reportedly accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” and being unwilling to pursue peace with Russia, characterizing him as ungrateful despite substantial US military aid.
In a Fox News interview on Sunday, Lutnick emphasized that the US president made it clear he “just wants to make peace.” However, he noted that Zelensky’s visit was not focused on peace, and he made “ridiculous” requests to Trump and Vance.
Lutnick stated, “Zelensky needed to hear it directly from the funding source of the United States of America: We’re not going to give you money unless you’re here for peace.”
He further added that Trump attempted to reason with Zelensky, pointing out the contradiction in Zelensky’s stance of calling “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s a terrorist and then call the guy up and try to make peace with him.”
During the meeting, Zelensky pressed for US security guarantees while the conflict with Moscow continues. Trump reportedly dismissed these requests as “ridiculous,” leading to an early end to the meeting.
The visit not only ended without the minerals agreement being signed but also cast doubt on the future of US military assistance to Ukraine. The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration is now re-evaluating its financial and military commitments to Kiev.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also suggested a possible change in Washington’s position, implying that Zelensky might need to step down if he refuses a diplomatic resolution. Waltz told CNN, “it’s unclear whether President Zelensky, particularly after what we saw on Friday, is ready to transition Ukraine to an end to this war and negotiate a compromise.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that while Washington desires peace for Ukraine, some European allies seem to prefer prolonging the conflict to further weaken Russia.
Since February 2022, the US has provided $65.9 billion in military aid to Ukraine as of January 2025.