Russia accuses Zelensky of terrorist methods after tense meeting with Trump at the White House.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry interpreted the Ukrainian president's statements in Washington as an "open threat" to the U.S.
247 - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of using terrorist methods, in statements made this Friday (28). The criticism came after a tense meeting between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House, where the two leaders publicly discussed the war between Ukraine and Russia, which is now three years old.
According to the Sputnik news agency, Zakharova highlighted a statement made by Zelensky during the meeting, in which he said that the United States "would still face problems." For the Russian spokesperson, the statement is an open threat from the Kiev regime, which she described as "terrorist." "They didn't listen to us and didn't want to listen when we said that this was a regime that had already become terrorist. And when Zelensky, as the leader of this regime, says such things... I believe that's what he means. They have perfected terrorism, extremism, and sabotage," Zakharova stated in an interview with the program Soloviev Live.
Tense meeting at the White House - The meeting between Trump and Zelensky, which was supposed to be an opportunity to discuss American support for Ukraine, ended in a heated exchange in front of the press. Trump criticized Zelensky for his stance, accusing him of disrespecting the United States and of not being ready for peace. "I have decided that President Zelensky is not ready for peace if America is involved," Trump wrote on his social media account, Truth Social, after the meeting. "He can come back when he is ready for peace."
During the meeting, Trump pressured Zelensky to accept a quick agreement to end the war, threatening to withdraw US support if the Ukrainian leader did not cooperate. "Either you make the deal, or we're out. And if we leave, you fight alone. I don't think it's going to be very pretty," Trump said. The American president also criticized Zelensky for not showing gratitude for US support, stating that the Ukrainian leader was "playing cards with the lives of millions of people."
Zelensky, for his part, cited the need to resist Russia and told Trump: "you should not make compromises with a murderer." The Ukrainian leader also stressed that Ukraine remains dependent on US military and financial support to confront Russia, which controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
