Tensions between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government were escalated behind the scenes last week before they completely broke into a public view on Wednesday.
Ukrainian officials were alarmed after President Volodyyr Zelenskyy said that his meetings with the highest trump officials could be canceled if they disagreed with certain requirements. They were worried about mixed messages, in public and private, from older advisors Trumps about whether the possibility of Ukraine to NATO would be on the table in negotiations with Russia to complete the war. And they were worried when the defense minister of Pete Hegseth said in a closed door meeting that the United States could withdraw a significant number of their troops from Europe.
From the Prespective of the President Donald Trump, Zelensky showed resistance to what Trump’s views as reasonable asked the country, the United States had received more than 75 billion dollars of military aid. He did not find Zelenskyy in Nikim Hurfort to make some compromises that American and European officials would recognize in private were needed in peace work. He also covered over Ukraine to the public appeal on the exclusion between the United States and Russia on the end of the war after Zelensky met several times with some Trump’s highest advisors.
“There is frustration,” said the official of the White House, accusing Zelensky and some other European leaders of trying to “deny” Trump’s efforts.
This article is based on interviews with more than a dozen American and European officials and other people with knowledge of private meetings and discussions between and within the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government. Everyone spoke about the state of anonymity for discussion on sensitive internal conversations.
Trump was inserted on Tuesday, by blaming Ukraine for the decision of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack and call on new elections in Kiev. After Zelenskyy opposed the trumpy of Russian “misinformation”, the trump appeared by his rhetoric by inviting Zelensky, the elected Ukrainian leader, “Dictator” who “did a terrible job”.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019. years, and the elections scheduled for last year were suspended for the war.
Escaling returns and back, he raised concern in the United States, including in some of the Trump’s Republican allies.
Senat Thom Tillis, Rn.C.
Zelenskyy is an approach
After Trump won the prospects in November, Kiev republican fans and lobbyists who have advised Zelenskyy to show that his government stirred that Russia was the main obstacle to any resolution, according to three people with knowledge .
“The key was to persuade the blob that Ukraine was not a problem,” said one of those people.
Putin had little interest in negotiating the peace treaty – and intelligence from the United States and the ally indicates that his views are unchanged and in the end he wants to control the entire Ukraine. But the Zelenic government admitted that Trump was skeptical for his cause and had the drafting of Russia, two nations with knowledge about it.
Zelenskyy wanted to show that his government was flexible. When NATO membership, although the United States did not declare public, for example, Zelenskyy suggested that European countries could implement troops in Ukraine as a security guarantee in post-war agreement.
His approach seemed to work.
Trump submitted sharp rhetoric about Russia, threatening Moscow with tariffs, sanctions and sale of Russian goods in the United States and other countries if Putin did not negotiate the end of the war. He also dragged the retired Army General General Keillogg, who sympathized at Kiev, as his envoy in Ukraine.
Then last week everything changed.
Putin released the American teacher, Marco Fogel, who was closed in Russia. The scrolling has enabled Trump to follow the promise he made during the campaign. Steve Witkoff, his envoy in the Middle East, met with a path three hours while he was in Moscow to take on Fogel, Trump said.
Next day 12. February, Trump talked to the path, announcing after the two countries would initiate negotiations on the end of the war in Ukraine. After Trump talked to Zelenskyy.
For the announcement of his team to negotiate with the Russians, Trump left Kellogg, who was killed, according to the American official known response. Kellogg keeps meetings in Kiev, but was not among American officials who met with the Russians in Saudi Arabia this week.
Tensions in Munich
As the USA and European officials prepared to be convened in Brussels and Munich last week – in the meetings, announcing his approximation with the path – some administration officials tried to keep the relationship between Washington and Kiev.
Prior to Hegset’s speech in Brussels 12. February, some State Department officials were advised by his team that he should not publicly say that Ukraine would not acquire NATO membership as part of the peacekeeper with Russia, according to four more economical officials.
Hegset’s speech didn’t follow that advice. He was back from the draft prepared earlier for the message of Blunter about Ukraine for NATO membership, but did not believe that NATO membership is a real outcome of the negotiating settlement, “he said.
His prepared remarks said that security guarantees for Ukraine “should not be secured through NATO membership”, according to three American officials, introduced to them.
Hegseth, who said that his comments on the possible membership in NATO was performed in coordination with the rest of the Trump National Security Team, by tempered for his comments next day. He insisted on “everything is on the table” in the negotiations. And while Trump told reporters on Thursday that he did not ask Hegset to walk his remark, he also noted that Hegset’s tone was given “a little softer.”
At the same time, Trump said that Hegeth’s initial notes “were quite precise”, further encourages confusion and criticism that the United States entered the key Russian demand before negotiations.
Private, Hegseth is a memorist, when he said at a meeting with Zelensky that Trump Administration considers many US forces in Europe because the United States focuses on the Asian-Pacific region, and his border with Mexico, according to five USA officials and Another person is familiar with a meeting.
“Your reporting is 100% FALSE,” Pentagon secretary John Ullyot wrote by email in response to the request for comment on Hegset’s speech, the Council receiving from civil servants in Europe.
“At no time, Hegseth was advised to avoid suspicion of NATO membership – the elderly members of the President’s National Safety Team, and supported the message to the bottom to the bottom, completely stopping. In addition, the President strengthened the remarks of HEGSET secretaries regarding NATO membership in the shorter After that in his own public comments in an oval office, “Ullyot wrote.
Ullyot said Hegset “did not announce, nor the time frame for, extracting American troops in Europe.”
Ali Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance brought a consistent message during his trips last week – that Europe needs more responsibility for their defense as if Trump administration gives a priority to the South American border and Indo-Pacific.
One security guarantee of the United States thinks as part of a peacekeeping job is to automatically approve membership in Ukraine NATO if Russia violates the Agreement, four American officials said.
Such a provision would be focused on solving key concern for Ukraine and its allies – that Russia regroups and fall into the country again, four officials said.
Other parts of Hegset’s brussels, who delivered to the Ukrainian Defense Minister of Rustem, sits only three seats, too Kyiv annoyed. He said “unrealistic goal” that Ukraine would return to its borders before Russia first attacked in 2014. And annexed the Crimea, a statement seen as a concession Russia.
The Day of Hegset’s speech and Trump phone calls with Putin and Zelensky, State Secretary Scott Bessent was in Kiev for a meeting with Zelensky who did not go well on both sides.
Nonsent introduced Zelenskyy with a document that would give the United States in half of the minerals of rare countries in Ukraine, which are critical to the development of different technologies. Zelensky took over Besent’s approach.
When Zelensky said it takes time to study the proposal, Besen said he had an hour to sign it or risk his upcoming meetings with Vance and Secretary Marco Rubio and another person with the knowledge of discussion.
Ukrainians have seen those meetings, which should have happened later that week on the margins of the Security Conference in Munich, which is critical to understand the Trump Strategy for Peace Talks.
The Bessent explained that the agreement with the trump for rare earth mineral management is a critical component of strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine, which would ultimately contribute to the security guarantees after the warfare negotiation.
The Treasury Department did not respond to the comment request.
Zelensky did not sign a document. In Munich, in the beginning, Ukrainian officials initially said that Zelenskyy’s meetings with Vance and Rubio, towards us and European officials, and the other person met discussions. They were delayed, but they eventually took place.
The rare agreement of the mineral of the earth remains in limb.
After initially said that the United States and Ukraine still talk about the proposal, Zelenskyy signaled that he would not agree to the current version because he would not protect his country enough.
Bessent said in an interview with a fox to believe that Zelenskyy would ultimately sign the United States about rare minerals of rare terrestrial minerals, saying that after the end of the war, the future Russian aggression would return.
The White House official said that “a unessellant offer is in relation to that in Ukraine’s ability to defend it so far contributes to US taxpayers.”
“That offer is about the topic of some of that,” the official said, “and recognizing that when there is peace, Ukraine has the potential to grow in a stronger economic position, through the Partnership with the United States”
2025-02-20 03:54:00
