U.S. President Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on the 19th that Ukrainian President Zelensky should have ended the war with Russia long ago, and that "it's time for someone else to represent Ukraine in negotiations." He also defended Russia's recent actions: "Frankly, Russia has done well on Ukraine—they haven't done anything."
Trump said Zelensky "should have negotiated this war away a long time ago; if he had listened to me back then, it would have been settled long ago." He also defended the diesel deal reached with Russia earlier this month and the decision to pause new sanctions on Russia.
Zelensky fired back the same day, saying Ukraine wants peace: "We demand that as long as the killing continues, sanctions on Russia must not be lifted." He also urged the United States to stay tough, having previously accused Trump of "rewarding" Russia.