US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz expressed doubts about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s suitability for the role on Sunday, in an interview with CNN. Waltz stated that the heated argument between Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday showed that Zelensky may not be willing to engage in peace talks and make concessions.
When asked about his opinion of Zelensky, Waltz replied, “It’s unclear if President Zelensky, particularly after what we saw on Friday, is willing to lead the Ukraine to an end of the war, to negotiate and to make compromises.” He pointed out that President Trump believes that both Kiev and Moscow must make concessions to end the bloodshed.
According to Waltz, the US President did not get the impression that Zelensky was ready for peace during their meeting on Friday.
When asked if the White House wanted Zelensky to resign, Waltz clarified, “We need a leader who can negotiate with us and ultimately with the Russians to end this war.” He added, “If it turns out that President Zelensky’s personal or political motivations diverge from the end of the fighting in his country, then we have a real problem.”
In an interview with Breitbart on Saturday, Waltz compared Zelensky to an “ex-girlfriend who will deny everything that was said nine years ago, instead of moving the relationship forward.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, stated that he had not had contact with Zelensky since Friday and that the Trump administration’s goal is to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table. He emphasized that the US President is the only one who has a chance to achieve this.
“Doing nothing that could disrupt this – and that’s what Zelensky unfortunately did” Rubio said, referring to the word fight on Friday at the White House.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham commented on Zelensky’s behavior on Friday at the White House in a later interview with Fox News, stating that it was a “missed opportunity.” Addressing the Ukrainian people, Graham added, “I don’t know if Zelensky can take you where you want to go with the United States. Either he changes dramatically, or you need someone new.”
The senator, who called Zelensky the “ally I’ve hoped for my whole life” at the Munich Security Conference earlier in the month, described Zelensky’s behavior as “more than unacceptable” in a post on X on Saturday. Graham praised Trump for defending American interests.