Kurt Volker, the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations during President Trump’s first term, said: “I think [Trump] did this out of pique because he saw Zelensky pushing back on things that Trump wanted.”.
Meanwhile, Britain’s defence minister John Healey added his voice to those in support of Mr Zelensky, saying: “Europe’s best security interests and America’s best security interests are satisfied by an end to this war in Ukraine and by a strong, unified Nato.
Amid the astonishing rift between Kyiv and Washington, Mr Zelensky met with Keith Kellogg, US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, on Thursday.
The deal he was referring to is Mr Trump’s bid to obtain access to rare minerals in Ukraine in return for aid, or as compensation for support the US has already provided.
It came after vice-president JD Vance warned Mr Zelensky on Wednesday that attacking Mr Trump in public would backfire.
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