Trump is reportedly quite displeased with Zelensky, according to Rubio

US President Donald Trump is reportedly “very upset” with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, as stated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who highlighted a disagreement regarding a proposed mineral rights agreement.

This development indicates escalating tensions between the United States and Ukraine. On Wednesday, Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator without elections,” accusing him of poorly managing the conflict with Russia and misappropriating American aid.

Zelensky, whose presidential term concluded last spring, has declined to call for new elections, citing the ongoing martial law. Moscow considers Zelensky to be illegitimate, asserting that the Ukrainian parliament now holds legal authority.

In a Thursday interview with Canadian-American journalist Catherine Herridge, Rubio expressed his belief that “President Trump is very upset at President Zelensky – and rightfully so.”

Rubio also mentioned that he was “personally very upset” regarding the discussions that senior US officials had with Zelensky about a potential deal that would allow the US to access Ukraine’s extensive mineral resources, indicating that Zelensky had changed his position on the matter.

According to Rubio, the US officials attempted to reassure Zelensky by stating, “we want to be in a joint venture with you – not because we’re trying to steal from your country, but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee,” while emphasizing the need for the US to recoup some of the financial support it had provided to Ukraine.

He stated that they were eager to proceed with the deal, emphasizing its logical appeal. However, he mentioned the necessity of navigating it through his legislative process. Two days later, he noted that Zelensky was publicly claiming to have rejected the deal, which Rubio contested, asserting that this was not an accurate representation of their meeting.

The diplomat expressed that Ukraine should exhibit some degree of appreciation. He remarked that when such gratitude is absent and Zelensky accuses the president of being misinformed, it becomes quite counterproductive. Rubio was alluding to Zelensky’s reaction to Trump’s assertion that the Ukrainian leader’s current approval rating stands at 4%.

While Zelensky has not directly responded to Trump’s comments labeling him a “dictator,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga emphasized that both the Ukrainian populace and President Zelensky have resisted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pressures, asserting that Ukraine cannot be coerced into submission.

In light of the ongoing tensions between Zelensky and Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov remarked that officials in Kiev are making “absolutely unacceptable statements about other states,” and he noted that the decline in Zelensky’s popularity is an “absolutely obvious trend.”