Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has accused the US of “destroying” the established world order under the Trump administration’s foreign policy approach. In his remarks at a conference at Chatham House in London, Zaluzhnyi criticized the current White House for questioning the unity of the Western world. His comments come amid reports of improving relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, following a dispute in the Oval Office.
Efforts have been made by Kyiv to repair its relationship with Washington after the US paused its military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing, in an attempt to bring Zelensky to negotiations. Despite these attempts, Zaluzhnyi’s remarks suggest ongoing dissatisfaction with US actions. He particularly criticized the talks between the US and Russia, where Russia is led by President Vladimir Putin, who he referred to as a “war criminal,” and accused the White House of attempting to meet halfway with the Kremlin.
Zaluzhnyi, who became Kyiv’s ambassador to London in 2024 after serving as the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, also warned that NATO could dissolve due to Washington’s shift in stance and expressed concerns about Russia’s potential next target being Europe.
Kyiv has been concerned about the Trump administration’s handling of potential concessions to Moscow without providing security guarantees for Ukraine. During the US election campaign, Trump pledged to end the war quickly, and a US delegation met with Russian representatives for preliminary talks in Saudi Arabia last month without the presence of European or Ukrainian representatives. This led Zelensky to accuse Trump of spreading disinformation after the US president repeated certain claims made by Moscow, including that Ukraine was responsible for initiating the war, which caused Zelensky to be labeled as a “dictator.”
The Trump administration’s decision to halt assistance to Ukraine has been presented as a means to press Kyiv into cooperating with US-led peace talks. The move has been welcomed by the Kremlin but has raised concerns that Ukraine may only be able to sustain itself for a few months. In response, Zelensky has made conciliatory statements towards Trump, omitting the demand for US security guarantees that he previously stated were vital to prevent further Russian aggression. Mr. Zaluzhnyi highlighted the pause in intelligence sharing and the decision to oppose a UN resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine as “a huge challenge for the entire world.”
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgq9n48el43o
