Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent blasted the actions of Ukrainian President Voldimia Zelensky during his visit to the White House on Friday as “unacceptable” and “one of the great diplomatic self-imposed goals in history,” highlighting the deep rift between Washington and Kiev.
“It's extremely difficult to get an economic contract with a leader who doesn't want to go through a peace agreement,” Bescent said in an interview with Bloomberg Television following a controversial oval office meeting that derailed a planned agreement to grant US access to important Ukraine minerals.
The collapse of the deal marks a setback in Ukraine as the Trump administration tried to deepen economic ties with the US while it was trying to negotiate the end of an ongoing war with Russia. President Donald Trump ended the White House meeting early after Zelensky criticized the administration's efforts in front of our media during their oval offices.
“He downplayed the United States in his precious oval office,” Trump wrote of the true society. “He can come back when he's ready for peace.”
In the background, there is a continuing conflict over Ukrainian leaders' demand for a stronger security commitment, as the White House revealed demand was not being provided. Instead, the proposed agreement focused on economic cooperation between the two countries.
Bescent's remarks suggest that the administration views Zelensky's approach as a serious failure, which could complicate future negotiations between Washington and Kiev. Bescent was heavily involved in negotiating the proposed mineral trade and even travelled to war-torn countries for consultation.
The fallout could leave Ukraine to strengthen a struggling economy and raise questions about the future of US-Crane relations.
