US President Donald Trump has branded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “not a good guy,” saying the Ukrainian leader is more difficult to deal with than Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The remark, made during an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, represents the sharpest public break between Washington and Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
THE ATTACK
Trump did not hold back when asked about Zelensky. “Zelensky is not a good guy for us to deal with,” Trump said. “He doesn’t want to settle. He says he wants to settle, but he doesn’t”.
When asked directly whether he had lost faith in the Ukrainian leader, Trump responded: “Well, I think they’re going to end up with a settlement of some kind, they’re not going to do it with him, he doesn’t want to settle. He says he wants to settle but he doesn’t. No, I’m not a big fan of Zelensky. They’ve destroyed that country”.
Trump then made the comparison that has drawn the most attention. “I find Zelensky more difficult to deal with than Putin,” he said.
PUTIN “EASIER” TO DEAL WITH
Trump’s suggestion that Putin is easier to deal with than Zelensky is striking given that Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
Trump told Newsmax: “Putin hates Zelensky and Zelensky hates Putin and when you have that kind of hatred it’s very hard to get something settled; but that’s a war that should have never started”.
He also criticised the Russian military’s performance in the early days of the war, saying: “It was supposed to be a very quick war, if you remember the tanks going right up the highway into Kyiv”.
He added that the war “should end soon” and that “they actually both would like to see it end”.
THE DETERIORATING RELATIONSHIP
Trump’s comments come amid a rapid deterioration in US-Ukraine relations.
Earlier this week, Trump announced a deal with Putin to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, which Zelensky called a “gift” to the Kremlin.
The diesel deal was followed by Trump’s announcement of an “energy ceasefire” that Russia has not observed, and by continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian power plants.
Zelensky responded to the Starlink restrictions by accusing Trump and Elon Musk of deliberately blocking the service, resulting in Ukrainian deaths.
The two leaders are now in the worst rift since the Oval Office clash in February 2025.
THE REPERCUSSIONS
Trump’s remarks have drawn criticism on social media, with some accusing him of siding with Putin over a democratic ally.
The comments also raise questions about the viability of US-Ukraine relations, the future of American military support for Kyiv, and the prospects for any negotiated settlement to the war.
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For Zelensky, the accusation that he is “more difficult to deal with than Putin” is a remarkable reversal of the moral clarity that once defined Western support for Ukraine.
ValidViewNetwork reports that Trump made the remarks during an interview with Newsmax. The White House has not issued a formal statement on the interview.