US President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that Ukraine has “no leverage” in any negotiations to end the conflict with Russia.
"I've had very good talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," Trump said. "And I've had not such good talks with Ukraine."
"They don't have any cards, but they play it tough," Trump said of Ukraine. "But we're not going to let this continue."
"This war is terrible," he added. "It wouldn't ever have happened if I were president. But it did happen."
Trump previously suggested that the presence of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the talks was not “very important.”
Zelenskyy has been in meetings for three years and nothing has been done, Trump told Fox Radio. “I don't think he's very important to be in meetings," he added.
This week, Trump has repeatedly directed harsh criticism at the Ukrainian president. His closer ties with Vladimir Putin have raised concerns about a potential rift between Washington and Ukraine, which relies heavily on US aid to resist the Russian invasion.
After describing President Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections,” Trump said on Wednesday that the Russians had “taken a lot of territory” in Ukraine and therefore held "all the cards.”
