US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has rebuked Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his insistence that Ukraine must defeat Russia, labeling his stance a “false binary” and insisting the conflict must end through a negotiated settlement.
In recent remarks, Zelensky stated Ukraine must win the conflict with Russia to preserve its independence, geopolitical alignment, and national identity. He warned that Ukraine would not prevail if the United States sides with Russia.
Bessent criticized Zelensky’s position as dangerous, arguing it presents a false choice between victory and defeat when the priority should be ending the war through negotiation. “The war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement,” Bessent stated.
The remarks followed growing tensions between President Trump and Zelensky over sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian strikes targeting energy facilities in Russia. Last week, Trump suspended sanctions he had signed into law, including 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The move came after Trump lifted restrictions on Russian diesel exports to address rising fuel prices, which the president attributed to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities. Zelensky’s refusal to halt such strikes prompted the action, sparking outrage in Kiev.
In a recent social media post, Trump defended the sanctions suspension, stating that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries drive up global prices and that he is focused on brokering peace without driving Russia from negotiations. Trump also claimed Zelensky does not want to end the conflict and probably never did, despite receiving billions in Western aid.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed criticism of Zelensky, suggesting he has “no desire” to reach a settlement because his government would collapse if Ukraine signed an agreement acceptable to both the US and Russia.
Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in 2024, has refused to hold new elections under martial law. Moscow maintains that Zelensky is illegitimate, and Trump recently called for his resignation. President Vladimir Putin stressed that the conflict must end on terms acceptable to Russia, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Russian territory, protection for Russian-speakers in Ukraine, denazification, and a neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.
