A planned news conference between United States President, Donald Trump’s envoy and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was unexpectedly canceled on Thursday following a tense exchange between the two leaders.
After their meeting in Kyiv, U.S. special representative Keith Kellogg and Zelenskyy posed for photographs but did not address the media or deliver any statements as originally scheduled.
Ukrainian presidential spokesman, Serhii Nikiforov, later confirmed that the U.S. delegation requested the change, though no explanation was given.
Zelenskyy, however, described his discussion with Kellogg as a “good conversation,” emphasizing that “we can and must make peace reliable and lasting so that Russia can never return with war again.”
The abrupt shift in plans came after Trump launched a scathing criticism of Zelenskyy, labeling him a “dictator” with declining approval ratings.
The U.S. president also painted a grim picture of Ukraine’s situation, remarking that many areas were being “blown to smithereens” and likening the country to a “massive demolition site.”
Trump blamed Zelenskyy for the ongoing war, stating, “You have been there for three years, you should have ended it. You should have never started it; you could have made a deal.”
He also urged Ukraine to hold elections, claiming that it was not a demand from Russia but a sentiment shared by “many other countries.”
In response, Zelenskyy acknowledged his respect for Trump but suggested the former president was “unfortunately living in disinformation space.”
Meanwhile, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz warned Kyiv against making comments critical of Trump, asserting that “there’s some of the rhetoric coming out of Kyiv, frankly, and insults to President Trump (that) were unacceptable.”
Zelenskyy’s presidential term officially ended in May 2024, but with Ukraine under martial law since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, no concrete plans for elections have been announced.
