By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-06 12:48:36 | Updated at 2025-03-06 16:11:47
3 hours ago
Ukraine's ambassador to the UK has accused Donald Trump of 'destroying' the world order by making concessions to Russia.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a conference at the Chatham House think tank that recent steps by Washington towards Moscow were 'a huge challenge'.
The former commander in chief of Ukraine's military - often tipped as a future successor to Volodymyr Zelensky - also questioned whether Nato could survive the dramatic shift.
The comments came as Mr Zelensky desperately tries to repair relations with Mr Trump after their extraordinary White House bust-up. Keir Starmer and European leaders have been trying to shore up the alliance, but are urging Kyiv to do what is needed to bring America back on side.
Mr Trump used an address to Congress on Tuesday night to signal that tensions could be easing, praised Mr Zelensky for sending a letter stressing his commitment to peace.
However, the US president has also ordered a freeze on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine. Washington has paused intelligence sharing with Kyiv - potentially preventing strikes on Russian targets - and halted cyber operations against Moscow.
The Kremlin has been boasting that US policy is now aligned with their own, while allies of Vladimir Putin have said Mr Trump has not asked for any concessions in discussions about peace.
Mr Zaluzhnyi said trying to meet Russia 'halfway' was a disastrous mistake.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi told a conference at the Chatham House think tank that recent steps by Washington towards Moscow were 'a huge challenge'
The comments came as Mr Zelensky desperately tries to repair relations with Mr Trump after their extraordinary White House bust-up (pictured)
He said: 'We see that it is not just the axis of evil and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the US is finally destroying this order.'
Mr Zaluzhnyi also warned that the White House had 'questioned the unity of the whole Western world' and suggested Nato could cease to exist as a result.
He said the pause in cyber operations and an earlier decision by the US to oppose a UN resolution condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine were 'a huge challenge for the entire world'.
He added that talks between the US and Russia – 'headed by a war criminal' – showed the White House 'makes steps towards the Kremlin, trying to meet them halfway', warning Moscow's next target 'could be Europe'.
The jibes risk infuriating the president again, as Ukraine acknowledges the difficulty of fighting without assistance from Washington.
But a poll today underlined the huge impact on Mr Trump's standing among Brits from his treatment of Mr Zelensky.
YouGov found that since February 17 the Republican's favourability has slumped from an already-dismal minus 48 to minus 57.
The plunge has been particularly stark among Reform voters, with the net score going from plus 38 to minus eight.
Keir Starmer and European leaders have been trying to shore up the alliance, but are urging Mr Zelensky (pictured together with Emmanuel Macron in London at the weekend) to do what is needed to bring the Washington back on side
By contrast, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has increased in popularity, with the proportion of Britons with a favourable view of the Ukrainian leader increasing from 64 per cent to 71 per cent.
Again, the shift is largest among Reform UK voters, among whom he is now more popular than Mr Trump.
The number with a favourable view of Zelenskyy has increased from 49 per cent to 62 per cent over the last fortnight, while those with an unfavourable view has declined from 37 per cent to 27 per cent.
