President Donald Trump is “very frustrated” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for not engaging in peace talks to end the ongoing war with Russia, according to Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz.
Speaking during a White House press briefing on Thursday, Waltz revealed Trump’s growing impatience, emphasizing the former president’s desire to bring the conflict to an end.
“Trump’s goal here is to bring this war to an end, period, and there has been ongoing fighting on both sides — it is World War I-style, trench warfare,” Waltz said.
He also criticized rhetoric from Kyiv, calling some statements “unacceptable” and highlighting Trump’s discontent with Zelensky’s unwillingness to engage in peace talks.
“President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky — the fact that he hasn’t come to the table, that he hasn’t been willing to take this opportunity that we have offered,” Waltz stated. “I think he will eventually get to that point, and I hope so very quickly.”
Waltz stressed that Trump remains focused on halting the fighting, adding, “We could argue all day long about what’s happened in the past.”
The comments come shortly after Trump sparked controversy by falsely labeling Zelensky a “dictator without elections,” prompting a sharp response from the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky fired back, accusing Trump of spreading disinformation and “helping Putin out of his isolation.”
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