Trump envoy says Ukrainians 'brought it on themselves' after US pauses
aid and intelligence sharing
[March 07, 2025]
By AAMER MADHANI
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine was given “fair warning” by the White House
before President Donald Trump this week ordered a pause on U.S. military
assistance and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, a senior administration
official said Thursday.
The Republican administration announced the pauses this week after Trump
and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy'sOval Office meeting devolved into a
shouting match, with the U.S. president and Vice President JD Vance
excoriating the Ukrainian leader for being insufficiently grateful for
the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. assistance sent to Ukraine since
Russia invaded three years ago.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and
Russia, said the pause is already having an impact on Kyiv, adding that
the Ukrainians "brought it on themselves."
“The best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a
two-by-four across the nose,” Kellogg said at an event Thursday at the
Council on Foreign Relations. “You got their attention.”
Kellogg said it was made clear to the Ukrainians before last week’s Oval
Office meeting that the talks would focus on signing a critical minerals
deal. The agreement, which the two sides still have not signed, would
give the U.S. access to Ukraine's rare earth deposits and could be of
value to U.S. aerospace, electric vehicle and medical manufacturing.
Trump administration officials have said the economic pact would bind
the U.S. and Ukraine closer together and would give Russian President
Vladimir Putin pause before considering malign action against Ukraine in
the future. Zelenskyy had been pressing the White House for explicit
security guarantees, to no avail.
Kellogg said last week's talks went sideways because Zelenskyy pressed
Trump — who is trying to play the role of intermediary to broker peace
between Ukraine and Russia — to side with Kyiv.
Zelenskyy later called the heated words “regrettable” and said he’s
ready to sign an agreement.
Trump in an exchange with reporters on Thursday said he believed his
administration had made “a lot of progress” in recent days with both
Ukraine and Russia, but did not specify how.
“I think what’s going to happen is Ukraine wants to make a deal, because
I don’t think they have a choice,” Trump said. “I also think that Russia
wants to make a deal because in a certain different way — a different
way that only I know, only I know — they have no choice either.”
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In his nightly address Zelenskyy confirmed that talks between
Ukraine and the U.S. are scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia
next week.
“I am scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with the crown
prince," said Zelenskyy, referring to Mohammed bin Salman, the heir
to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom. “After that, my team will
stay in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners. Ukraine is most
interested in peace.”
Another Trump special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed that senior
administration officials are arranging to hold talks with top
Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. Witkoff noted that Zelenskyy
has been apologetic in recent days about the White House blowup and
expressed gratitude. He was circumspect about whether the minerals
deal would be signed during the expected meeting in Saudi Arabia.
“We’ll see if he follows through,” Witkoff said.
But Kellogg said he couldn’t guarantee a resumption of weapons
deliveries even if Zelenskyy accepts the deal.
“That’s up to the president,” Kellogg said. He added, “You don’t
negotiate peace discussions in public. You don’t try to challenge
the president of the United States in the Oval Office.”
Trump said in a speech before Congress on Tuesday that Zelenskyy had
written to him to say he appreciates U.S. support for his country in
its war with Russia. Trump said Zelenskyy told him that Ukraine is
ready to negotiate a peace deal with Russia as soon as possible and
would accept the minerals agreement with the U.S. to facilitate
that.
Although Trump said he “appreciated” getting the letter, he did not
say if it would affect his policy toward Ukraine.
The suspension of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine will damage
Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against ongoing Russian attacks
against military and civilian targets, according to an assessment by
the Institute for the Study of War. The research group said
suspension of all U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine would also
allow Russian forces to intensify their drone and missile strikes
against the Ukrainian rear, affecting millions of Ukrainian
civilians and the growth of Ukraine’s defense industrial base.
—
AP writer Susie Blann in Kyiv and Michelle L. Price contributed
reporting.
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