Trump suggests Zelensky ‘won’t be around very long’ without deal

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on February 25, 2025 shows Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) on February 12, 2025, and US President Donald Trump (R) on February 22, 2025. Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump stepped up his threats against Volodymyr Zelensky Monday after a blow-up row in the Oval Office, suggesting the Ukrainian leader “won’t be around very long” without a ceasefire deal with Russia.

Trump heavily criticized Zelensky for saying the war could go on for a long time and said Ukraine’s president should be “more appreciative” of billions of dollars of military aid in Kyiv’s fight against Russia.

But Trump said that a minerals deal that fell through last week due to the row was not dead, and appeared to downplay reports that he could halt military aid to Kyiv following last week’s argument at the White House.

READ: Trump-Zelensky shouting match takes world leaders aback

“It should not be that hard a deal to make. It could be made very fast,” Trump told reporters, referring to a ceasefire.

“Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long.”

He added: “That person will not be listened to very long, because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal. I believe certainly the people of Ukraine want to make a deal.”

Earlier Monday, Trump had slammed Zelensky after he said while in London to meet European leaders that an end to Moscow’s invasion was far off.

READ: Zelensky leaves White House without signing minerals deal

“This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“This guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing.”

Trump also accused European leaders of weakness, saying that they had “stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US.”

“Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.

Trump’s broadsides came after a meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday descended into an extraordinary on-camera argument.

Trump and US Vice President JD Vance raised their voices and accused Zelensky of being disrespectful and ungrateful for US military assistance, as the Ukrainian pushed his demand for American security guarantees as part of any truce.

Zelensky was then told to leave the White House, with the crucial deal giving Washington preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources left unsigned.

Trump was meeting his top aides later Monday to discuss next steps on Ukraine.

But he played down reports that he was considering cutting military aid if Zelensky doesn’t agree to a truce.

“I haven’t even talked about that right now. I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens. A lot of things are happening right now, literally as we speak,” Trump said.

The wider message was that Zelensky needed to apologize for the row in what Trump called the “cherished” Oval Office.

“What we need to hear from President Zelensky is that he has regret for what happened,” US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News.

Waltz also denied suggestions by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Trump and Vance had deliberately escalated the clash. “This was no ambush,” Waltz said.