Above President Donald Trump’s dramatic change in strategy regarding the conflict with Russia was highlighted on Sunday when Washington officials hinted that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky could need to resign if a peace agreement is to be struck.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN, “We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war.”
“And if it becomes apparent that President Zelensky’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real issue.”
His comments, along with those of other influential Republicans, come after Trump abruptly turned against Zelensky during a heated meeting in the Oval Office on Friday.
Trump referred to the Ukrainian as “disrespectful” during the unprecedented public spat, which caused Zelensky to leave the White House before the expected signing of an agreement on the distribution of Ukrainian mineral rights.
During the contentious discussion, Zelensky had attempted to assert that Kyiv still required security assurances in order to have faith in a peace agreement with Moscow.
Notably, in light of the uncertainties surrounding the viability of a deal, Trump posted a repost on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, claiming that the necessary security will be provided by the mineral agreement itself.
“Trump ensures that Americans will be involved in Ukraine’s mining industry,” the message read. “This prevents Russia from launching an invasion, because attacking Ukraine would mean endangering American lives — something that would force the U.S. to respond.”
