Kremlin Calls for “Forcing” Zelensky to Make Peace After Confrontation with Trump

A Major Diplomatic Clash

On Friday, February 28, a tense exchange took place before the press between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House. This high-profile meeting, closely followed by global media, ended in failure as no agreement was reached between the two leaders.

Kremlin Responds Strongly

On Monday, March 3, the Kremlin spoke out, urging that Ukrainian President Zelensky be “forced” to make peace. According to Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, “Someone must force Zelensky to change his mind. He doesn’t want peace. He must be forced to want peace.” This statement came after the diplomatic clash that occurred in Washington, where Donald Trump publicly pressured Zelensky.

A Harsh Criticism of Ukrainian Diplomacy

Peskov did not hesitate to accuse the Ukrainian president of lacking diplomacy. He emphasized that the confrontation between Zelensky and Trump at the White House highlighted the challenges in reaching a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. During this meeting, Trump severely criticized Zelensky for “putting himself in a very bad position” and suggested he negotiate with Russia, or else the U.S. would “drop him.”

In light of this tense situation, the agreement on the exploitation of Ukrainian minerals, which was supposed to be signed during Zelensky’s visit, did not take place. “What happened on Friday at the White House shows just how difficult it will be to find a path to peace in Ukraine,” Peskov said, stressing the crucial role both the United States and Russia must play in achieving a resolution.