President Donald Trump is not impressed with Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky and it increasingly looks like the Ukrainian cannot count on further US support in the war with Russia.

Earlier this week, Trump said Ukraine started the war and did not look to make a good deal. He added that the war which has gone on for three years now would not have happened if he was President when the Russians invaded Ukraine.

President Trump has made it clear that the US is only prepared to speak with Russia and Saudi Arabia on ending the war and that European countries shouldn’t have a seat at the negotiating table. The way Trump sees it, the US shouldn’t continue to fund this war and that Europe should be doing a lot more to help and be contributing with some of the heavy lifting here. To his mind, this is another case of Europe sitting on the side lines while the US picks up the tab for yet another conflict in its backyard.

After Trump has given Zelensky short shrift, it will be difficult for him to go to the US president cap in hand asking for even more money.

President Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Think of it, a modestly successful comedian Volodymyr Zelensky talked the United States of America into spending US$350 billion to go into a war that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without the US and Trump will never be able to settle.

“The United States has spent US$200 billion more than Europe and Europe’s money is guaranteed while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t’ Sleepy Joe Biden demand equalisation, in that this war is far more important to Europe than it is to us.”

The recently inaugurated president goes on to say Zelensky is a dictator who doesn’t have the support of his people. He notes that the Ukrainian leader refuses to hold elections and that his popularity is low.

“Zelensky admits that half of the money we sent him is missing. He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukranian polls and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle’. A dictator without elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”

It looks like Ukraine is on its own and that Russia will claim it with no resistance from the U.S.. Europe sees the danger here but is it willing to do something about it?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has mooted sending 30,000 troops to help Ukraine on the condition of certain guarantees from the US Russia has said any NATO or European Troops sent to help Ukraine will be viewed as an act of war from those parties and they will be dealt with accordingly.   

Trump’s position is music to Putin’s ears and he may decide to move full steam ahead and crush Ukraine while others can only mobilise to parlay. 

“I love Ukraine but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his country is shattered and millions have unnecessarily died,” said President Trump.

It is clear he isn’t prepared to further fund Ukraine unless the US is getting something for its support, possibly the extraction of certain minerals.

A deal about Ukraine’s future taking place without Ukraine’s participation is a disrespect to Zelensky. President Trump has no time for him and sees Zelensky as a two-bit comedian way over his head.

For his part, Zelensky says Trump is living in a bubble of Russian disinformation. President Trump is more prepared.  To speak with whom he considers a new world power—Saudi Arabia—than European countries whom he has marginalised in settling this war.