19/10/2026
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19/10/2026
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WASHINGTON, Oct 19: US President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that someone other than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should negotiate on Kyiv’s behalf to end the war with Russia, intensifying his criticism of the Ukrainian leader.
“Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about. Zelensky is a man that should have had this war settled a long time ago. If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before departing.
“I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine because what's happened? A tremendous number of people are dead. They're losing their male population,” he said.
Trump added that Zelenskyy was not helping efforts to end the conflict and suggested the Ukrainian president was unwilling to stop the fighting.
“Maybe it's time for Zelensky to get somebody else to negotiate,” Trump said.
“Zelensky is not helping matters much. I think he doesn't want to stop it, but I want to see people not die.”
The US president also complained that Washington had provided substantial assistance to Kyiv without receiving anything in return.
“We've given a lot to Ukraine. They've given us nothing,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly criticised Zelenskyy in recent weeks, arguing that Ukraine could have reached an agreement with Moscow earlier. His latest remarks come amid growing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the approach to ending the war and US dealings with Russia.
Trump open to meeting Putin and Xi
Trump also said he would be willing to participate in a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, although he said no such meeting had been agreed upon.
Asked whether he had agreed to the proposed talks on Ukraine, Trump replied that he had not but would be prepared to attend.
“No, but I would do it,” he said, adding that nuclear weapons and disarmament would be major priorities for such a meeting.
“We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization,” Trump said.
He claimed the United States possessed more nuclear weapons than any other country, with Russia ranking second and China third. He also said China's nuclear capabilities were expanding rapidly and could continue catching up over the next five years.
Asked whether he would meet Putin and Xi to discuss ending the Ukraine war without Zelenskyy being present, Trump said he would pursue any opportunity to stop the fighting.
“I'd do anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody's there or not,” he said.
The comments follow reports that Putin had proposed a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to discuss ending the conflict. The possibility of such a meeting has raised questions about Ukraine's role in discussions concerning the future of its own war.
Says Russia and China did little to help Iran
Trump also commented on Russia and China's relations with Iran, saying both countries could have provided Tehran with greater assistance but had offered relatively little.
“Russia could have done a lot more to help Iran. Russia's done very little for Iran. China could have done a lot more for Iran,” he said.
Trump described what he characterised as the limited support from Moscow and Beijing as a positive development.
“I view that as being a very positive thing,” he added.
His remarks came as Washington continued to navigate tensions involving Iran, while Trump sought to present diplomacy and negotiations as central to his approach to international conflicts.
