Top Washington officials suggested Sunday that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky might have to step down if a peace deal is to be reached, underscoring President Donald Trump’s stunning shift in approach to the war with Russia.
“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians, and end this war,” National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CNN.
“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 remarks and those of other key Republicans follow Trump’s dramatic turn against Zelensky during a contentious Oval Office meeting on Friday.
The rare public spat — with Trump calling the Ukrainian “disrespectful” — resulted in Zelensky leaving the White House without the anticipated signing of a preliminary pact on sharing Ukrainian mineral rights.
