Trump criticizes Zelensky, straining U.S.-Ukraine relations in Oslo meeting

Steve Witkoff, a Trump‑appointed envoy, greeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a hug before the two leaders met in Oslo on Thursday, but the gesture did little to mask the growing rift between Washington’s former president and Kyiv’s commander‑in‑chief. Zelensky posted the moment on social media, thanking “our partners for their support,” yet his recent remarks to a U.S. congressional delegation hinted that American policy is now “hard to explain between friends.” The meeting, intended to revive optimism about a peace push, instead highlighted how personal attacks from Donald Trump have strained the alliance at a critical moment in the war.

The tension dates back to a televised clash in February 2025, when Trump accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” and ordered a pause in U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing. Although the suspension lasted only a week, it set a precedent for erratic U.S. support. In the months that followed, the Trump administration redirected funding mechanisms, asking European allies to finance American weapons for Ukraine. That shift left Kyiv dependent on a limited flow of Patriot air‑defence missiles, a shortfall that has worsened as global demand for the systems has surged.

Trump has continued to publicly disparage the Ukrainian president. In a Newsmax interview last week he called Zelensky “not a good guy for us to deal with,” and on Monday he dismissed Zelensky’s criticism of a proposed diesel‑trade deal with Russia as “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Zelensky, for his part, has responded with measured frustration, noting on Telegram that Ukraine “welcomes literally every attempt by our partners to end this war with dignity,” while warning that “some political decision has been made to slow down support for us.” Analysts such as Ian Bond of the Centre for European Reform say the back‑and‑forth reflects Trump’s habit of sudden policy U‑turns, which can undermine confidence among Ukraine’s allies.

The next steps hinge on whether the Oslo talks can produce a concrete roadmap for peace and a reliable supply of defensive hardware. If Trump’s rhetoric translates into further aid delays, Kyiv may be forced to lean even more heavily on European funding, potentially reshaping the balance of power in the conflict. For the United States, reconciling its internal political battles with the strategic need to support Ukraine remains a delicate act that could define its role on the world stage for years to come.